Surname Saturday ~ The Name Game

Ready for Round Two of the Name Game?

Step right up and try your luck guessing the country of origin and the meanings of these names:

Bleeker

Driscoll

Fortier

Hofstetter

Jalowiec

Lackey
Nikolich

Palmieri

Raske

Teslenko

Vela

Xander

Zsoldow

Give yourself one point for each country guessed correctly and another point for each correct meaning.

Scroll down...

to see...

the answers...


Bleeker, Bleecker (Dutch) One who bleaches or whitens cloth, a fuller.

Driscoll (Irish) Grandson of Eidirsceol (interpreter).

Fortier (French) One employed at a fortress; one who made and sold gimlets.

Hofstetter, Hostetter (German, Swiss) One who came from Hofstetten, the name of several villages in Germany and Switzerland.

Jalowiec (Polish, Russian) One who was sterile or barren, dweller on infertile soil.

Lackey, Lackie (English, Irish) One who attended another, a footman; dweller at a stony or rocky place.

Nikolich, Nikolic (Yugoslavian) Son of Nikola, Serbo-Croatian form of Nicholas (people's victory).

Palmieri, Palmiero (Italian) One who carries the palm in religious processions; one who granted or sold indulgences.

Raske, Rask (Swedish) Daring, a soldier name.

Teslenko (Ukranian) The son of the carpenter.

Vela (Spanish) One who took care of sheep, a shepherd; one who came from Vela (raven), in Spain.

Xander, Xanders (Greek) Descendant of Xander, a shortened form of Alexander (helper of mankind).

Zsoldow (Hungarian) One hired for service in the army, a mercenary soldier.

Did you do better in Round One or Round Two? Share a surname you are researching and I'll add them to an upcoming post.