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.
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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
