anyone know the origin of Papuga?

Question

my grandfathers mother's maiden name was Papuga. just wondering if anyone knew the origin or meaning behind it. alternate spellings (?):Pabuga or Bapuga. not sure how its spelt but hes pretty sure its Papuga. thanks guys!

p.s. anyone know the origin of the first name Ala. that was my other grandmothers first name. shes from Germany but my other grandmother who is also from germany says it's not german. thanks!

Answer 1

Hello italiasoccer89,

The first site give multiple PAPUGA family web sites.

The second site give the LDS searchs available.


The third give some clues as to the meaning of Papuga.

I recommend hooking up with some of the families. You might be able to do a DNA test to show which branch of the family you belong to. But it would need to be an UNCLE of yours on your mothers side, since the DNA tests are done through the MALE line of a SIR name.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

It means parrot in Polish:

papuga
Polish: nickname from Polish papuga ‘parrot’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

The 1930 US census lists 29 families with the last name Papuga.
None were born in the US, so were recent immigrants.

Place of Birth Number
Poland 24
Hungary 3
Yugoslavia 2
Czechslavakia 1


Don't know about as a first name, but as a last name Ala is German. It is possible a feminine sounding variant of someone's last name was used as your grandmother's first name.

ala
Probably a respelling of German Ahle, a variant of Ahl 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Actually the first part of the following is probably most likely, being the pet form perhaps of the feminine form of Albrecht:

Ahl
German: from a pet form of the personal name Albrecht (see Albert).
German: from Aal ‘eel’, Middle High German al; generally the application would have been to an eel fisher, but in some cases it may also be a nickname for a ‘slippery’ person.
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a cobbler, from Middle High German ale ‘awl’, German Ahle.
Swedish: from al ‘alder’, applied either as a topographic or an ornamental name. The -h- in the surname is purely ornamental and does not occur in the vocabulary word.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4