Today’s Surname Saturday name is RudzÄ«tis!
This Latvian name is the diminutive of “rudzi”, which means “rye”. It is a relatively common surname, found in many Latvian parishes, including Bauņi, Galgauska, Dauguļi, KrÄslava, LÄ“durga, Limbaži, Nabe, Sece, Sidgunda, Skaņkalne, Stopiņi, Taurupe and Umurga.
Rye is a popular Latvian foodstuff, its most popular form being rye bread, which is a Latvian staple food. Though I have yet to see anyone with a surname meaning “rye bread”!
RudzÄ«tis is also the surname of my genealogy fiction heroine, Aila RudzÄ«te, “RudzÄ«te” being the feminine form of the name. You can read her first adventure in short story form here, and if you see promise in a series of novels featuring this genea-fiction heroine, then please support my Kickstarter which is raising funds for the production of the first novel!
Thank you for your fantastic Latvian Surnames project – and for your “Surname Saturday.” I would like to suggest a surname to add to your list: Redins. My grandfather was Hermanis Jukums Redins, and he was a fairly well-known Baptist minister in Riga from the early 1900’s until his death in Riga in 1942. Hermanis was born in 1867 in Ventspils. His father was Jukums Redins and his mother was Billie Zemesarajs. He was the youngest of four children. I could provide more information on the Redins family, but I just wondered if it would be possible to include “Redins” in your Latvian surname project. Thank you! (Diana Kelly)