This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: strynkowski strenkowski strelowski Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/RdC.2ACI/548.1 Message Board Post: hi...my last name is strynkowski. my g garandfather came from a town called stekowizna, a few miles from suwalki. His name was Jan. The name strynkowski was changed from strekowski...in polish there are 2 letter "e"s e and e with an accent under it. they usually write it on the computer as e~ it says a nasal en or yn sound...hence, the reason they changed the name, to recreate the n sound...my g grandfather's tombstone in PA spells it strenkowski. His wife was strynkowska...the female version. I have a letter somewhere explaining the meaning of the name, from a proffessor...basically he said stre~kowski means a person from stre~kowizna, and stre~kowizna neans place of the pea pod or hull. I would guess your family has some connection to stre~kowizna because of the name, and location. I have no information further than my g grandfather as the church and records were destroyed on WW2. I did correspond for a while with a belinda strenkowski in england...her dad was born in stre~kowizna, and still has a house there. The village is very tiny, and hard to find on maps, but I have found it and can send u a copy of the map...suwaki is the biggest village nearby...the other one is called Nowinka...it is very close to strenkowizna...hope this helps...John strynkowski nyack, NY Nyackduo@aol.com