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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: Penninah on Monday 21 July 08 17:56 BST (UK)

Title: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Monday 21 July 08 17:56 BST (UK)

Hi all

Can anyone come up with a likely name that 'DICKS' may have been anglicised from?
The family where from Stargardt in then germany c1829.

Many thanks
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: meles on Monday 21 July 08 18:00 BST (UK)
"Dick" is, I understand, a common German surname (meaning "fat", I'm afraid  ;))

meles
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Monday 21 July 08 18:01 BST (UK)
Dix ?? Dichs ?? Dichsen (the 'ch' is pronounced gutturaly, like the welsh 'ch') ??

Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Monday 21 July 08 18:03 BST (UK)
... and if anybody calls out to you "Hallo Dicke !"(*)  then you need to think about your diet.


(*) Hello Fatty !
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Monday 21 July 08 18:07 BST (UK)
DICKE, DICKES, DICKER, and all sorts of names beginning DICKE/R
(Dickerhof, Dickersohn, etc), DICKOW

Could even be a simplification of DIEK... , DIECK....... DEIK..., DEICK.... etc.

Do you have any other details about them, which might give us a clue ??

Bob
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Monday 21 July 08 20:24 BST (UK)
Hi there

Thanks for your replies! I was aware it meant fat! lol

All the info i have about this particular chap is that his name was Louis (sometimes Lewis) Dicks he was born c1828 Stargardt, Germany.
He came to England i know not when but appears to be marrying a Leah Lemon (Lehman?) of Holland in London City 1854. They were Jewish. Louis was a tailor and they resided in the Spitalfields/Stepney/Mile end area of London. They had 10 children. Most of whom i have found records for attending the Jewish free school in Stepney.
Isaac, Lipman, Solomon, Rebecca, Lena, Amelia, Samuel, Elias, Simon and Lionel.

I have them from the 1861 census on.

Regards  ;)
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Graham Whitehead on Saturday 02 August 08 16:27 BST (UK)
Is Starrgardt right?  Wouldn't Stuttgart be more likely?  Sorry if I am showing my ignorance. Best wishes
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Saturday 02 August 08 16:52 BST (UK)
Its Stargardt on the census. Apparently now part of Poland.  :)
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Saturday 02 August 08 17:29 BST (UK)
.... and before that it was part of .....

well, here there and everywhere:
http://gov.genealogy.net/relations/STARDTJO71JV.png?full-size=1

there is a link to Stargardt here, but only in German
http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Stargardt

it also has a map, showing where (in present day Europe)
i.e. in Poland, close to the borders of Germany

Bob
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: JustinL on Tuesday 05 August 08 09:13 BST (UK)
Hello Peninah,

I do not believe that your ancestor's surname has been anglicized.

Dicks would have been the German rendering of the surname pronounced DIX in Jewish communities further east. The image below is the likely spelling in Yiddish.

Jews were first recorded in the district of Stargard (aka Preussisch-Stargardt) in 1525. According to official statistics, there were 612 Jews in the city in 1843, and 137 in the remaining district.

The Mormons have filmed the original Jewish BMD registers for Stargard covering the period 1812-1849 (film no. 1190966). Equally important is the list of surnames adopted by the Jewish families of West Prussia in 1812 (film nos. 1183655 and 1184441).

Hope this helps,

Justin
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Friday 08 August 08 16:16 BST (UK)
Thanks again all for your replies, very useful.
Thanks Justin for that yiddish translation. Is the LDS stuff avaliable to view online or do i need to buy a disc??
 ;)
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: JustinL on Saturday 09 August 08 08:43 BST (UK)
Peninah,

I think you would have to order the films through an LDS Family History Centre.

Justin
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Saturday 09 August 08 09:35 BST (UK)
Ok, thanks
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: JustinL on Wednesday 13 August 08 12:04 BST (UK)
Penninah,

Just to follow up on my PM, I came across this picture while googling.

It is a gravestone in the Jewish cemetery at Starogard Gdanski (Preussisch Stargardt).

Was she Louis' sister?

Justin
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: JustinL on Wednesday 13 August 08 15:42 BST (UK)
Hello again,

No that I know that the "s" was only added to DICK in the early 1860s, it was fairly straight forward to find:

Isaac DECK [sic], Q1 1856 Whitechapel (1c, p. 336)
Leon DICK, Q4 1857 Whitechapel (1c, p. 333)

Justin

BTW, did you know about Albert, b. 12 May 1863? He also went to the Jewish School.
Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: Penninah on Thursday 14 August 08 09:23 BST (UK)
Wow, great stuff! She could well be a sister, i have no idea of any of his relations other than his children. I know nothing on his time in Germany.
And no, i didn't have Albert so thats great! Thanks yet again.
 :-*

Title: Re: Anglicised german name?
Post by: JustinL on Thursday 14 August 08 11:59 BST (UK)
Hello Penninah,

The BMD records for Preussisch-Stargard (1812-1938) are also available at the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt am Main.

The email address is info(at)juedischesmuseum.de

The museum used to be quite prompt in responding to queries (well, in German at least). But I believe they are now somewhat short staffed.

Nonetheless, I would drop them a line regarding the DICK/DYCK family.

Justin