Gretzky (surname)

Gretzky (Belarusian: Грэцкі, Russian: Грецкий) is a Belarusian and Russian family name. In Poland the surname is Grecki.

The name is best known in English speaking countries as the surname of Canada's most famous hockey player - Wayne Gretzky. His father Walter Gretzky reports that his own father, an immigrant to Canada, was of consciously Belarusian landowner stock.[1]

Origin

The origin of the name is the Polish aristocratic surname Grecki, or specifically Grecki h. Prawdzic - Grecki of the Prawdzic coat of arms.[2]

The Russian form of name, following the Polish, is an old variant spelling of the Russian adjective for "Greek" - though in modern Russian this spelling of the adjective is mainly used for "Greek nut", meaning the walnut (also in Belarusian; Грэцкі арэх, Greek nut, walnut). The Russian name is the name of two notable soldiers on the Eastern Front in World War II; Piotr Gretzky (ru:Грецкий, Пётр Петрович) (1904-1972) a Soviet army colonel, and Vladimir Gretzky (ru:Грецкий, Владимир Иванович) (1912-2000) a tank commander. Both were awarded Hero of the Soviet Union.

In Poland the name is not common, but found for example with the pianist Maksymilian Grecki (1841-1870) and the rock guitarist pl:Jacek Grecki (1977-).

People

Some English-speaking individuals with the surname include:

  • Wayne Gretzky (born 1961), a Canadian former professional ice hockey player
  • Walter Gretzky (born 1938), member of the Order of Canada, and father to Wayne
  • Keith Gretzky (born 1967), former professional ice hockey player and brother to Wayne
  • Brent Gretzky (born 1972), former professional ice hockey player and brother to Wayne
  • Janet Jones-Gretzky (born 1961), American actress and wife to Wayne
  • Lisa Gretzky, Canadian politician and cousin-in-law to Wayne

References
  1. Vadim Kukushkin From Peasants to Labourers: Ukrainian and Belarusian Immigration 2007 Page 3 "Ukrainian and Belarusian Immigration from the Russian Empire to Canada Vadim Kukushkin Introduction: "My father, Tony Gretzky, had gone to Chicago from Russia before he came to Canada. His family had been landowners in the old country, supporters of the czar. When anyone asked my father whether he was Russian, he'd say, “Nyet. Belarus ..." - Walter Gretzky
  2. Носители фамилии Грецкий (ая) "История фамилии. Род ГРЕЦКИХ, если быть точнее Грецкие герба ПРАВДЗИЦ, с польского GRECKI h. PRAWDZIC. Род, утвержденный в шляхетстве Царства Польского.."
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