Siuda

This is a rare Polish-German surname which is recorded in the disputed territories of Prussia. The "modern" spelling would seem to be an abbreviated form of the patronymic "Siuda-Jewska", which was recorded much earlier on June 9th 1740, when Johannen Kienik married Anna Siuda Jewska, at Langenau Bei Danzig. Unfortunately early recordings from this region are at best erratic and often non existent, and it is difficult to draw conclusions. The name is probably a locational nickname deriving from "Suder", a man from the south, but may be job descriptive from the medieval "Suda", to describe a shoe maker. The name recordings include: Francisca, who was christened on January 3rd 1866; Maryanna, who was christened on July 18th 1867; and Stanislawa, who was christened on March 31st 1868, all at Gross Brislaw, and all children of Johann Siuda (see below). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johann Siuda, which was dated January 30th 1866, a witness at Gross Brislaw Catholic Church, West Preussen, during the reign of Kaiser Willhelm 1 of Germany, 1861 - 1888. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.