2)  What is the meaning of my surname?
Although the meaning of a surname is rarely connected to the origin of our ancestors, it can be fun to learn what our surnames mean.

• Notes on Selected Polish Surnames -- William "Fred" Hoffman is the author of Polish Surnames: Their Origins and Meanings.  If you are truly interested in Polish surnames, buy this wonderful book.  This page is part of PGSA's site, and here Fred discusses some particular surnames.

3)  Where can I find others with the same surname?

• Try the Poland Query Boards.  Many researchers have posted their surnames to these query boards.  The Ancestry Message Board Search will search every surname posted to every query board on their site.  These boards represent almost every country throughout the world.
• Another surname search engine is the SurnameHelper system.  It works the same way as GenConnect.
• GenForum -- post/view queries on individual surnames

4)  How can I research my family? (Or, my grandfather [fill in name here] came from Poland in the late 1800s - please give me more infomation about him.)
Unfortunately the PolandGenWeb hosts can not research your family history.  Please don't ask us to, or your request will be ignored.  However, we can help you research your family by leading you to helpful information.  Here are some great starting links to show you how:

• Basics of Research -- our own list of the most basic types of records and what value they have
• Genealogy and Poland - A Guide -- Lukasz Bielecki shows you how to begin researching your family in Poland.
• Treasure Maps -- A "How-To" genealogy site.
• Beginner's Tips -- How-to help from the PGSA web site.
• The Order of the Virtuti Militari and its Cavaliers 1792-1992 -- this site has a searchable database for all recipients of the Polish equivalent of America's Medal of Honor and Britain's Victoria Cross.  Both native Poles and foreign-born recipients are listed.

5)  I don't speak/read Polish/German. How can I write to an archive in Poland?
It's not too hard, with a little help.  Here are some sites that offer "form" letters in Polish or German to assist you:

• Finding Parish Addresses -- the lower portion of this page lists a few translation aids
• How to write to Poland -- from Lukasz Bielecki's Genealogy and Poland Guide
• Donna's Genealogy Help Page -- site for translation help and letter writing

6)  Where can I find more information on Poland?

• Polish Genealogical Society of America
• The Official Website of Poland
• Polish World -- search for a surname, find an address, online bookstore, and more
• The Polish American Journal
• Polish Genealogy Links
• Poland Business -- huge listing of web sites pertaining to all aspects of Poland, including links to Polish city/town web sites