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The Siwy family surname was first recorded in Poland in 1391 (Latin): 'For Slawomiro, filio Johannis ZYWI'(meaning alive)[volume III of the published files of A. Pawinski].The Korab(meaning sailing boat)coat of arms is cited with this surname. Nazwiska Polakow, Rymut(1991)provides additional census information. Years ago, I found a book(by a Mr Thaddeus J. Obal?)on the origin of Polish surnames in a special collection section of a local library noting the surname was of "an ancient nautical seafaring family"! Although I haven't been able to find the book since(several volumes), there is a Korab Shipyard in Poland. A coincidence, if not correlation, certainly.
The surname is apparently derived from the Proto-Slavic word siwy, meaning grey, blue-violet(usually in reference to hair).Rymut lists other surnames derived from this root, along with references to their antiquity, to include Siw 1388, etc...
The Siwy surname is of nickname origin, eg. Konrad II Siwy Pan - ksiaze olesnicki 1366-1403 ( if you know of any others please let me know).
http://www.poczet.com/olesniccy.htm
According to a 1990 Polish Census, there were 1,485 people with the Siwy surname living in Poland. Nazwiska Polakow, Rymut (1991). Mostly in Katowice,Czestochowa and Southeast Poland region.
Depending on your demographic source, there seem to be about 200 Siwys living in the USA, most of them in NY State!
http://www.census.gov/ Perhaps time to think Moheganusa!
TBC
The Trivia Researcher
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