The Origin and Explanation of the Surname Kysilka
Kysilka, Kysylka, Kysilko, Kysylko,
Kisilka, Kisilko, in Moravia also Kyselka - these all are varieties how to
spell our family name and how they appeared in specific documents and sources.
Primary it is derived from the adjective kysely - sour, or wry.
Sour may be sauerkraut, milk, apple, bread or sorrel, figuratively man can be wry,
annoyed, indignant, angry, even surly, cruel or even vicious.
I am of the opinion, that this surname appeared in connection with a
special East Bohemian soup called kyselo. It was originally a cream
fermented soup with dill, sauerkraut, scrambled eggs. When potatoes appeared in our
countries in the end of 18th century and became the main source of alimentation, they
started to be used in this soup in the same way as we know it today.
In about 1470 there is a mention of a surf farmer Kyselo in the village
of Osik, 4 kilometers to the SW of Litomysl. The first mention of our surname Kysilko is
from 1582, when a miller of Horni Ujezd, the next village of Osik, is called Vavra (Laurentius), a.k.a.
Kysylko. The -o was changed to -a later, though even in 19th century there are some
records still referring to Kysilko
Dobrava Moldanova in her book Naše
příjmení (Praha 1983) quotes the following varieties of surnames, derived
from the adjective kysely (Page 123) :
Kysel , a noun form of adj. kyselý.
A(appellativum) kysel=a sour soup.Kysel-a (sometimes for kyselo = a
sauerkraut soup), Kysel-ak (sour vine, apple kyselé apple, sorrel, a pot
for leaven for kyselo), Kysel-ec, Kysel-ica (sour cherries,dry fruit
soup), Kysel-ka, Kysel-nice, Kysel-nik, Kysel-o, Kysel-y, (figuratively
also wry), Kysilka, Kyslik (dimin. form of. A.. Kysel), Kyska.
The family name Kysil can be added to this nest. It is probably
an abbreviation of the surname Kysilka.
The contemporary Telephone directory of Prague shows following surnames:
Kysilka |
25 |
Kysilkova |
15 |
Kysilko |
4 |
Kyselka |
14 |
Kyselkova |
6 |
Kysil |
1 |
|
|
44 Kysilkas, 20 Kyselkas a 1 Kysil is stated..
Our surname is very rare statistically. The frequency is about 0,1 to 0,2
pro mile (per thousand), which means 1- 2 bearers of our surname in a medium
town of 10.000 inhabitants.
For comparison: The relative appearance of the most frequent Czech surname Novak
provides the results between 8 - 9 pro mile (per thousand), i.e. 80 - 90 Novaks per 10.000
people.
Cf. my article on Czech surnames (in
English)
The family name Kysilka is of East Bohemian origin. There are only two original
regions, where our surname appeared in the 16th century and is rather frequent
today.
1. the town of Litomyšl and its surrounding ,mainly
communities Horni- and Dolni Ujezd, Porici, Desna, Mladocov a Budislav, from where
the surname Kysilka spread over to Policka district (Sebranice, Leznik, Policka, Borova,
Svata Katerina)and further to region of Skutec, Svratka and Hlinsko (Prosetin, Krouna,
Svratka, Cachnov), and the other side of Chocen, Brandys n. Orl. and Vysoke Myto (
Sloupnice, Hrusova). Today the descendants of these families have been living throughout
the whole Pardubice, Hradec Kralove and usti n. Orlici regions..
2. the town of Podebrady and neigboring
villages: ,in Sokolec, there is the first record on the surname Kysilka in the
beginning of the 17th century. Kysilka families have been living in Novy Bydzov,
Kolin, Chlumec n. Cidl. and as far as Semily and Turnov.
During the 20th century and after the WWII the Kysilkas have settled in
Marianske Lazne,Teplice, Usti n.L., in Brno, Boskovice, Stramberk, Ostrava, Bilovec,
Studenka and, of course, in Prague. Their ancestry can be traced in all cases anymore.
3. The origin of the family name Kyselka is
very interesting. I have ever thought, that Kyselka (because of the -e- in the middle of
the word) must be of Moravian origin and has nothing to do with both Czech issues. The
name Kyselka can be found in Brno and its surrounding, in Vyskov, rousinov, Zlin and
Ostrava region. The original center was a small village of Saratice, east of Brno, where
this family name is recorded around 1780. I managed to prove, that the original spelling
was Kysilka as well and two or three families moved there from Sebranice near Policka.
Only one bearer of our family name makes me troubles. Jiri Pacovsky
a.k.a. Kysilka (Kysilko), was an inhabitant and bourgher of the Greater Town of
Prague after the Thirty-Year-War. He was very healthy and owned three big houses in St.
Henry´s and St. Stephen´s Quarters.
Distribution of the family name Kysilka (and Kyselka) in Bohemia
and Moravia
Explanation: 1 - The original area, 2 - Areas, where name
Kysilka was spread over alredy util end of 18. cent., 3- Areas, where the Kysilkas settled
after abolition of the serfdom (free movement was allowed)
4 -Secondary centers, where the name appeared in the 20th cent., 5 - Villages with
Kysilka surname in 16th cent.,
6- Villages with the Kysilkas in the 17th and until half of 18th cent., 7 - The
border between continuous Czech and German population until 19476
Poznámka: Vybarvená plocha zároveň
přibližně vymezuje frekvenci dnešního výskytu našeho příjmení. V
puvodních jádrech (1) se pohybuje mezi 1 - 2 promile na celkovém obyvatelstvu, v
plochách vyznačených modrou barvou (2) je četnost výskytu mezi 0,5 - 1 o/oo, v
oblastech vyznačených kompaktní žlutou barvou (3) je četnost nad celostátním
průměrem (cca 0, 2 o/oo). V oblastech, kam Kysilkové přišli až ve 20. století (4),
je četnost výskytu obdobná (0,2 - 0,5 o/oo)
Tabulka uvádí počty Kysilků ( bez Kyselků) v
jednotlivých UTO podle telefonních seznamů z let 1994 - 1998. UTO jsou seřazeny podle
relativní četnosti výskytu.
Je nutno sice počítat s velkou statistickou chybou (může v
některých případech dosahovat až 50%), ale dosavadní výsledky pátrání (a nejenem
u našeho rodu) mne utvrzují v tom, že metoda používání telef. seznamů jako
reprez. vzorku obyvatelstva je použitelná u větších měst a UTO.
UTO |
o/oo |
Poč. záznamů |
|
UTO |
o/oo |
Poč. záznamů |
Hlinsko |
2,1 |
7 |
Liberec |
0,5 |
10 |
Polička |
1,6 |
3 |
Nový Jičín |
0,5 |
4 |
Vysoké Mýto |
1,4 |
4 |
Teplice |
0,4 |
7 |
Litomyšl |
1,2 |
2 |
Kadaň |
0,4 |
3 |
Svitavy |
1,2 |
2 |
Žďár n. Sáz. |
0,4 |
3 |
Marianské Lázně |
0,8 |
3 |
Most |
0,3 |
5 |
Kolín |
0,6 |
5 |
Trutnov |
0,3 |
2 |
Nymburk |
0,6 |
3 |
Praha |
0,2 |
44 |
Turnov |
0,6 |
2 |
Hradec Králové |
0,2 |
5 |
Žamberk |
0,6 |
2 |
Pardubice |
0,2 |
4 |
Kromě uvedených UTO v tel. seznamech jsou uváděni v Brně
4 Kysilkové, po 2 ve Zlíně, Berouně, Jablonci n.N., po jednom záznamu mají
UTO Čáslav, Kutná Hora, Uhl. Janovice, Plzeň, Sušice, Horš. Týn, Karlovy vary,
České Budějovice, Znojmo, Boskovice, Olomouc, Ostrava, a Krnov.
Novadays, the number of all Kysilka families in the Czech republic is around
200. We do not have famous and important ancestors as other families may boast. The
Kysilkas were serfs, more artisans then farmers. They were millers, butchers, tailors,
weavers, inn-keepers, one or two teachers until the beginning of the 19th century. They
mostly inclined to a Protestant belief (the Helvetics or Czech/Moravian Brethren).
I would like to draw the attention to several members of our kin:
Frantisek Kysilka of Boskovice, was teacher and singer in
the Moravian Teachers´ Chorus. Betty Kysilka was an esteemed actress of
the National Theater in Prague in 1920s and 1930s, whereas Marie Kyselka
performed the Golden-star-princess in a famous Czech movie in 1950s. Bohdan Kysil is
ranked among our well known TV directors.
Zdenek Kysilka and his first wife Sylva were
distinguished alpinists. Sylva was the first woman who climbed the North Walls of Eiger
and Matterhorn. In 1970 the Czechoslovak National Team was all perished under the
avalanche near the Mount of Huascaran in Peru, except of Zdenek who saved his life by not
being admitted to this expeditions for his political attitudes in 1968.
Hugo Kysilka and mainly his cousin Pavel Kysilka
are famous Czech economists. Pavel Kysilka is vicegovernor of the Czech National Bank.
Another Frantisek Kysilka was teacher and schoolmaster, he was
a friend of Czech painters Max Svabinsky, Jiri Trnka and Salac.
Vaclav Kysilka was a notable lowyer in Brno, Vladimir Kysilka
a reputable psychiatrist, another Vladimir is chemist, whereas Mojmir
Kyselka is a famous Moravian architect.
The emigration from the East Bohemian Region in the 2nd half of 19th century
was rather frequent. The emigration aimed not only to the USA, but also to fertile regions
of Slavonia, Banat and Ukraine. The population of the Austrian capital Vienna was formed
by one fourth by the Czechs.
The number of the Kysilka (and Kyselka) families in the USA is between 30 -
40
Marcella L. Kysilka, is professor of the University
of Florida in Orlando, James Kysilka of Arkansasu was an expert in sugar
industry, Will Kyselka lives in Hawaii and wrotes non-fiction books on
Oceania and maritime navigation.
Jo Kysilka is famous Austrian orchestra conductor and Waltraud
Kysilka teaches at the Wiener Universitaet..
Josef Kysilka of N.S.W. is Australian champion in scuba diving.
I would be pleased, if our relatives from all over
the world kept us informed of their existence.
Karel Kysilka: zlimpkk@iqnet.cz
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