  
| minde - 2012-01-20 12:12
Lutz just namely repeated your own logic: relation Naujokas – Naujock is exactly the same as Baranowski – Baranauskas. Naujock is german name of lithuanian descent, like Baranauskas is lithuanian one of slavic descent.
So I am writing about the same. If Naujocks is Lithuanian, then Baranauskas isn't. If we look to etimology of surnames we will come to surprising conclusion, that majority of Lithuanian surnames (Lithuanian in todays meaning) are not Lithuanian. And it is quite strange. Therefore I prefer view to Baranauskas as Lithuanian, because today it is Lithuanian, Naujocks is not Lithuanian. Naujock is one surname, Naujokas - another. Baranauskas - Lithuanian surname, Baranowski - Polish, Baranaŭski - Belarussian.
N.B. "Slavonic descent" is quite indefinite. Surname is Baranauskas ir Polish noble origin. In Polish nobility determined themselves by the place of origin, it is European tradition. In German added "von", in French - "de", in Swedish - "av", in Polish the function of von, de, av provides the suffix -owski. Baranowski means the one from Baranowo or Baranów. In all Poland including Lithuania dominated Polish language and culture, many Poles settled in all parts of it. Lithuanians and Ruthenians coudn't pronounce Baranowski right, -ov- is unusual in Lithuanian language, so surnames Baranauskas and Бараноўскі (in Belarussian latin script - Baranaŭski) appeared. |
Germany has the most widespread Lituanian name
