Trying to trace family tree for my great-grandparents. Last name Janishak, maybe William and Mary. T

User15893406642516639089

Trying to trace family tree for my great-grandparents. Last name Janishak, maybe William and Mary. Their 3 daughters Sophia born 1901, Anna 1905 and Helen were put into an orphanage in Easton, Pennsylvania USA.

Despite searching for decades we have had no success in any records of where they may have come from or proof if this is the correct spelling of the last name. Any ideas appreciated!

Dennis J Yancey

see thee records:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?q.surname=Janishak&count=20&offset=0&m.defaultFacets=on&m.queryRequireDefault=on&m.facetNestCollectionInCategory=on

 

also I would avoid thinking that there was only one specific correct surname

consistent spelling - was something of the 20th century - before that spelling variations were very common. this is especially true of people who were immigrants.

Dennis J Yancey

It appears to me - based on those records above that the name is probably of Slavic origin

M Yueh-Ling

Janishak is definitely a Slavic name. If it were Polish, which I think it is, it might have been originally spelled Janisczak. Additional info such as religion -- Byzantine Catholic or Roman Catholic -- would give you an idea of where they may be from in Poland. For example, before WW2, the southeastern region of Poland, Galicia, was largely populated by Ruthenians (Ukrainians) who were Byzantine Catholic.

Looking up the name Janisczak on Ellisisland.org may give you a village. Sometimes, church records (esp churches where a lot of immigrants belonged) will give a birth place in the old country.

Good luck