Lipka

My whole life I thought that “Lipka” was a Polish for lemon tree. Well, that is close to true, but a random Wikipedia search (and some follow up) found that Lipka was much more.

First, Lipka is a village in Poland in wielkopolska province, near Zlotow city. It is the center of a rural commune in Zlotow County. Lipka has approximately 2,300 inhabitants.
Here is a nice map of the area. http://www.lipka.pnet.pl/mapa.gif

History:
- Between 1772-1918 year under the administration department of the Prussian seizure.
- From 1919-1945 (after the Versailles regulation) it was ruled by the Germans and was called Linde.
- In 1945, after WW2, it became part of Poland.

Furthermore, Lipka has an excellent website, http://www.lipka.pnet.pl/.

I wonder if there are others with the last name Lipka running around the village; maybe there are all named Lipka; or did my family take this name the same way the Corleone’s did. Maybe if I went back they would be made king, maybe not. But they would have my name on the local university, and the buildings throughout the village, so that has got to be worth something.

There is also Swieta Lipka is a tiny village in the north of Poland, and despite its size it is well known - as a religious centre and a pilgrimage site. In fact, it is one of the most celebrated in the country. Click on this link for images a famous and beautiful church in town http://www.ga.com.pl/lipka1.htm.

Apparently, the name Lipka is derived from the old Crimean Tatar name of Lithuania. The record of the name Lipka in Oriental sources permits us to infer an original Libķa/Lipķa, from which the Polish Lipka was formed, with possible contamination with the Polish lipka “small lime-tree”; this etymology was suggested by the Tatar author S. Tuhan-Baranowski. A less frequent Polish form, Łubka, is corroborated in Łubka/Łupka, the Crimean Tatar name of the Lipkas up to the end of the 19th century.

Which leads us directly to the “Lipka Tatars”. They followed Sunni branch of Islam and their origins can be traced back to the descendant states of the Mongol Empire of Ghengis Khan.

A quotation from a jarłyk of Khan Mechmed Gerej I to King Zygmunt I, dated 22 October 1520 reads: "Our father Mengli Geraj, Hadji Geraj, and the ancient khans entertained friendly relations with the Polish king Wladislaw and with Dawud, the Great Bey of Lipka (libkanum beyi – in Tartaric), as well as with the Polish king Casimir and with the Great Bey of Lipka. We demand from the countries of Lipka and Poland 15,000 florins. The countries of Lipka and Poland are of equal value to us, and their enemies are also ours." Furthermore, the Great Bey of Lipka was, of course, Witold [Vytautas], Grand Duke of Lithuania.

And when did the Lipkas come to the US, well according to Ancestry.com, there were around 40 Lipka families in the US in 1880, mostly in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. By 1920, there were 100 Lipka families in 22 states (including New York, Pennsylvania, and a few even got to California. Lipka mostly stayed out the “red” states, except a family in Texas and in Arkansas). Perhaps the first Lipka in the US (she was the oldest Lipka living in the US as of 1880) was Louisa Lipka was born in 1812 (married to August Lipka and had six kids)

The first record I found of my actual family was in 1930. Living in the Bronx, a newlywed couple, each only 22-years old, filled out a census form. It was my grandfather Morris, and my Grandmother Genesse, trying to live the American Dream. And from this young couple, many a Lipka were born, the family lemon tree blossomed and 23 with Lipka blood in their veins would walk the earth.

Modern times has also brought us a rock band called Lipka, and now there Lipka.com, which is a self-proclaimed cyber-office.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipka_Tatars
http://www.staypoland.com/about_swieta-lipka.htm
http://www.szlachta.org/2selim.htm
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/fact.aspx?&fid=7&ln=Lipka&fn=&yr=1880