Wystrach (Familienname)
Herkunft und Bedeutung
Der Nachname "Wystrach" kommt aus dem schlesischen Dialekt (auch "Wasser-Polnisch" genannt). Er ist verwandt mit Begriffen aus der polnischen und tschechischen Sprache. Das Wort "strach" heißt in beiden Sprachen "Furcht" oder "Angst". Die Worte "straszny" (polnisch) bzw. "strasný" (tschechisch) bedeuten "erschreckend" oder "furchtbar". Im Tschechischen gibt es außerdem die Begriffe "vystraha" ("Warnung"), "vystraseny" ("erschrocken; bestürzt sein") und "mít strach" ("Furcht haben").
Am 8. Mai 2000 schrieb William F. Hoffman, Autor des Buches "Polnische Nachnamen: Ursprung und Bedeutung", in einer E-Mail:
"As of 1990, according to the best data available (the "Slownik nazwisk wspolczesnie w Polsce uzywanych" / "Directory of Surnames in Current Use in Poland", which covers about 94% of the population of Poland), there were 248 Polish citizens named Wystrach. The vast majority lived in the provinces of Katowice (42) and Opole (195). Unfortunately I don't have access to further details such as first names or addresses, so I can't tell you how to find that info. But this data indicates that the name is concentrated to a degree rather unusual with Polish names, in exactly the region in which you are interested.
As for the name's derivation, I believe you must be absolutely correct. The expression "wystrach" doesn't appear to be in use in standard Polish, but a verb from the same root, "wystraszyc", means "to scare off, to frighten away". Linde's dictionary of the Polish language gives synonyms in German as "herausschrecken", "ausschrecken", "wegschrecken", which makes sense, because the Slavic prefix "wy-" or "vy-" usually means "out", "away from", much like German "[her]aus-" and "weg-".
So the basic meaning of the name would seem to be "one that scares others away", or perhaps "one associated with something frightful" or even "one who lives near something frightful". It's quite possible the name is a Polish adaptation of Czech "vystraha". All of the spelling variations you mention make perfect sense in terms of normal orthographic variation, especially in an area like Silesia where Czech, German, and Polish can all enter into the mix.
So although none of my sources discuss this name, I feel very confident that you are correct in everything you say. I will be glad to post this note on my Website for other Wystrachs to read. Thank you!"
Linktipp: Polish Roots - Surnames
Varianten des Namens
Der Name "Wystrach" kommt auch in folgenden, alternativen Schreibweisen vor: Wÿstrach, Wistrach, Westrach, Vystrach, Vistrach, Vestrach, Vestrah, Wystrah, Wystraska, Wystrassonka, Wystrachowska, Wystraszewski.
Geographische Verteilung
Im heutigen Polen leben heute etwa 250 Personen, die den Namen WYSTRACH tragen, davon etwa 80% im Kreis Oppeln (Opole), Oberschlesien, der ursprünglichen Heimat der Familie.
In Deutschland gibt es (hochgerechnet von der Zahl der Telefonanschlüsse) etwa 450 WYSTRACHs, die sich - meist erst nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg aus Oberschlesien geflohen, vertrieben oder ausgewandert - über das gesamte Gebiet der Bundesrepublik verteilen; Schwerpunkte sind Nordrhein-Westfalen (ca. 30%), Baden-Württemberg und Niedersachsen (je ca. 10 %), Bayern und Sachsen-Anhalt (je ca. 8%).
Berühmte Namensträger
Sonstige Personen
Geographische Bezeichnungen
Umgangssprachliche Bezeichnungen
Literaturhinweise
Am 8. Mai 2000 schrieb William F. Hoffman, Autor des Buches "Polnische Nachnamen: Ursprung und Bedeutung", in einer E-Mail:
"As of 1990, according to the best data available (the "Slownik nazwisk wspolczesnie w Polsce uzywanych" / "Directory of Surnames in Current Use in Poland", which covers about 94% of the population of Poland), there were 248 Polish citizens named Wystrach. The vast majority lived in the provinces of Katowice (42) and Opole (195). Unfortunately I don't have access to further details such as first names or addresses, so I can't tell you how to find that info. But this data indicates that the name is concentrated to a degree rather unusual with Polish names, in exactly the region in which you are interested.
As for the name's derivation, I believe you must be absolutely correct. The expression "wystrach" doesn't appear to be in use in standard Polish, but a verb from the same root, "wystraszyc", means "to scare off, to frighten away". Linde's dictionary of the Polish language gives synonyms in German as "herausschrecken", "ausschrecken", "wegschrecken", which makes sense, because the Slavic prefix "wy-" or "vy-" usually means "out", "away from", much like German "[her]aus-" and "weg-".
So the basic meaning of the name would seem to be "one that scares others away", or perhaps "one associated with something frightful" or even "one who lives near something frightful". It's quite possible the name is a Polish adaptation of Czech "vystraha". All of the spelling variations you mention make perfect sense in terms of normal orthographic variation, especially in an area like Silesia where Czech, German, and Polish can all enter into the mix.
So although none of my sources discuss this name, I feel very confident that you are correct in everything you say. I will be glad to post this note on my Website for other Wystrachs to read. Thank you!"
Linktipp: http://www.polishroots.org/surnames/surnames_index.htm