What nationality is the last name: Mazur?

Question

grannytoad - this question has nothing to do with researching my family history. my last name isn't Mazur and i never indicated that it was. if it was my last name, of course i would know where it is from. it is the last name of a boy i used to know and i am just curious.

Answer 1

Hey Sofia,

James P. Wolf of Swyrich.com says:

"Mazur

Origin: Dutch

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mazur, Mazure, de Mazure, de Mazur and others.

First found in Holland, where the name Mazur and Mazure became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Included were many settlers who were recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe."

That site is usually correct but not complete all the time. Family Search has Masur entries in Austria, Germany, Russia, and other locations.

Answer 2

You can take this much from the answers you've gotten: It's a multi-national name. Many names have developed independently of each other all over the world. Masur and Mazur are both found in Poland and Lithuania, as well as Germany and Czech lands. Mazure and de Mazur are found in the Netherlands, which is no wonder since the country speaks Low German. It's also found in Russia and Italy.

There's little doubt that the names mean different things in different countries. There's also no doubt that names don't have nationalities. National boundaries were fluid in the 1300s-1900s. Ownership of land passed from one king in one country to his nephew who took over another country. A conquest here might mean forfeiture of lands thousands of miles away. Languages mutated as a result. Latin was present in the country on one day, to be followed by Russian or Ukranian the next.

The long and short of it is that names don't have nationalities, the people with the names do. People move around, governments pass from one regime to the next, national boundaries shift. Names don't change, but nationalities do. Don't start your research trying to figure out which country the name belonged to. Follow the paper trail to see where they really lived. You'll be surprised at how many times the name came from one place and ended up thousands of miles away. Just follow the trail your ancestors left and you'll find out soon enough where their homeland was and what language they spoke. You'll also find out that many claimed multiple nationalities in their lifetimes. That was just the reality of life in Europe for several hundred years as surnames were being developed.

Answer 3

Yeah, Polish. I'm Polish, and I think I've heard of a place called Mazury, and there's these cakes called mazurki, so yeah. Although some countries nearby have similiar (if only some words) languages, so it could be Lithuanian or Czechoslovakian, or others. But I'd go with Polish. By the way, last Saturday, May 5th, was the Polish Constitution Day Parade! Kinda like a Polish Independence Day. Celebrate! ;P

Answer 4

I've never heard of the name before. I'm English, and I've seen all sorts of names in my genealogical research. Why do you think it could be Irish or Scottish? To me, it looks like a Germanic name with that -er suffix. So maybe Dutch or German?

Answer 5

Maybe the best way to be sure about your family is to research them back to where they came from.

The ones who came to US per the census in the later 1800s, post-1880, mainly marked Poland/Austria as their birthplace but some said Germany or Russia. If yours were in that bunch on 1900 census maybe you can find them immigrating through castlegarden.org or later ellisisland.org.

Answer 6

Mazur is a Polish name.

There are two possible meanings for the name:
1. Regional name for someone from the medieval province of Masovia (Polish Mazowsze), which includes modern Masuria.
2. Polish: nickname from Polish mazur ‘rustic’

Answer 7

Medieval Iran(?). the Parsis (Zoroastrians) i know have names like Masura, Mazda etc.

Answer 8

Egyptian?

Answer 9

Could be Polish

Answer 10

Poland
Masuria is an area in northeastern Poland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masuria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazur