Silesian Texan Surnames  
A Silesian Texan surname can be identified clearly by using sacramental records from Silesia, present-day Poland, which document the Baptisms or marriages of immigrants who came to Texas. In order for our website to be professional and credible, we strive to connect each listed surname to a Silesian village when possible. The long list on this page took the Silesian Profiles Committee almost 25 years to research and document, and on occasion, family researchers have provided primary records to establish a surname’s connection to Silesia.

The surnames may also be determined from the Schüler Agency List which provides village names for Texas settlers. Over 100 of the surnames appear in Silesian Profiles: Polish Immigration to Texas in the 1850s and Silesian Profiles II: Polish Immigration to Texas, 1850s –1870s. Additional information about these books is available on the References page under the dropdown Learn More.

New Articles!   
Families with asterisked surnames* below originated from the Silesian parish of Wniebowzięcia NMP located in Zębowice, Poland.  This parish was one of many in Silesia whose sacramental records were destroyed during World War II.  By clicking on an underlined surname*, you can access an article researched and written individually by  Silesian Profiles authors after the publication of both books; more articles will be added as they are completed.

If your surname is not listed here, it might be because documents that prove your family’s connection to Silesia have not been found.  Documents include:
1.  Sacramental records from a Silesian church (baptism or marriage)
2.  Ship manifest records which specify a Silesian village

ADAMIETZ KALKA PIECUCH / PIEZUCH
ADAMIK KANDZIORA PIEGSA*
ANDERWALD KASPRZIK PIEGZA
ANIOL KASPRZYK PIEPRZYCA
BĄK / BONK* KELLER / KOEHLER PIERDOŁA
BANDUCH KIEŁBASSA / KIOLBASSA PIKOS
BEDNORZ KIERYŚ / KYRISH PILARCZYK
BIELA KINDEL / KINDLA PŁACZEK
BIEMER KNAPPIK / KNOPIK PLASZYK
BIENIEG / BIENIEK KNIESKI PLOCH
BOMBA KOCUR / KOTZUR POLOK
BOTHOR / BUTTER KOLENDA PRUKOP*
BROLL KOLODZIEJ PRUSKI
BRONDER KOLODZIEJCZYK PRZYBYSZ
BRYSCH KOLONKO PYKA
BURDA KOPECKI RABSTEIN
CEBULLA KORC / KORTZ REIMANN*
CIBIS / CYBIS KORUS RESPONDEK
CIESLIK KORZEKWA RICHTER
COTULLA KOSSOK ROZWADOWSKI
CZAJA KOTARA RZEPPA
CZAMBER KOTULLA SCHEFFLER*
CZERNER KOWALIK*                          KOWALIK  SCHIEBEL
DANYŚ / DANYSCH KOZIELSKI SCHMIALEK*
DŁUGI / DUGI KOZUB SCHROBARCZYK
DŁUGOSZ / DLUGOSCH KRAWIETZ SCHWIERZ
DRAGON KROLL / KRÓL* SCHYGUDA
DRYŚ /DRESCH KUCZKA / KUTCHKA SCZODROK
DRZYMAŁA KUŚ / KUSH SCZYGIOL
DUPNIK LABIŚ / LABISH SEKULA
DWORACZYK* LABUS SKLORZ
DYLLA LEDWIG SKWORCZ
DZIUK LIPOK SNOGA
FELUKS / FELUX LUBOJANSKI SOBECZEK
FOEGELLE LYSSY* SOWA
GABRYŚ / GABRYSCH MADLA SOWIK
GAWEL / GARVEL MAINKA / MANKA STANUŚ
GAWLIK MARON STYRA
GOLLA MAZUREK SZCZEPANIK
GORYL MICHALSKI TAM
GORZEL MIGURA TITZMAN
GREGORCZYK MIKA TUDYK
GRUSCHIK / GROSZ MIKOSZ / MIKOSCH URBANCZYK
GRUSKA / GRUSHKA MIOSGA / MIOZGA WACŁAWCZYK
GWOSDZ MOCZYGEMBA WARZECHA
HAIDUK MORAWIETZ WEISS
HALAMUDA MOY* WIATREK
IBROM MROZ WINKLER
JANTA / JAINTA* MUTZ WOITASCZYK
JANYSEK MZYK WOITYNA
JANYSSEK NIEMIECZ WROBEL
JARZĄBEK / JARZUMBEK NIESTROJ WRZECIONO
JASKOŁA / JASKOLLA NOCOŃ / NOTZON WYGLĄDACZ
JĘNDRUŚ / JENDRUSCH* OBSTUJ YANTA / JAŃTA
JENDRZEJ OCZKO YOSKI / JASCHKE
JOHN OLEJNIK ZAJĄC / ZAIONTZ
JONIEC / JONIETZ OPIELA* ZIELONKA
JOSCHKO / YOSKO* PALICA / PALITZA ZIENĆ
JURASCHEK PANEK ZIGMOND / ZYGMUNT*
JURECZKO / JURECZKI PASCHKE / PATZIG ZOWADA
KACZMARCZYK* PAWELEK ZOWORKA
KACZMAREK PAWLIK ZYZIK

An Example of a Silesian Texan Surname
Based on a Sacramental Record

The ideal proof of a Texas immigrant’s origin in Silesia is his or her baptism or marriage record from that region.  For example, Joseph Janysek, age 24, arrived in America as a single man on October 19, 1889, according to a New York passenger list; however, the manifest states his place of origin is Prussia which is very general.  Fortunately, Joseph himself offered his place of birth when he declared his intention to become an American citizen in 1891.  As noted in the Karnes County, Texas, courthouse records, Joseph said he was born in Schwieben, Prussia.  The German name of his birthplace was an excellent clue to finding his baptism record in the village now known as Świbie, Silesia, Poland.

LDS Microfilm #2125910
Św. Trójcy, Wiśnicze, Silesia, Poland
[The Św. Mikołaja records from Świbie are stored at the Wiśnicze church and appear in a separate section on the microfilm.]
Baptism Record
Pages 432-433
99th entry

• Infant:  Josef Janysek
• Date of Birth:  6 March 1865
• Place of Birth:   Świbie, Silesia
• Date of Baptism:  9 March 1865
• Father:  Carl Janysek
• Mother:  Catharina Jarosch

Interesting notes about Joseph Janysek’s life in Texas:
• He married Caroline Reiman in Panna Maria, Texas, on October 20, 1891 [Marriage Records: page 18, 2nd entry]
• Two beautiful stained glass windows in the Immaculate Conception of the BVM Church in Panna Maria are dedicated to the couple’s memory; see image in Stained Glass Windows on this website.
• One of their sons, Monsignor Teodor Janysek, is featured in the Priests section on this website.

Click on image to enlarge