New Post
Search
Help[Surname] Ryslink Irish origin
What is the Irish origin of the Czech interpretation Ryslink? My mother's maiden name was Ryslink. I contacted a relative in Kladno, CZ who researched the family back to 1620. It was first registered to a boy child fathered by a soldier of the Holy Roman Empire, probably a mercenary at the beginning of the 30 Years War. I have 10% Irish DNA so I assume he was Irish or there abouts. What I want to know is what name the Czech name Ryslink would have been derived from.
This message was edited 11/1/2016, 10:27 AM
1
Replies
The Czech name is Ryšlink and it's most probably an alteration of a German name like Rischling/Risling/Riesling. There's no plausible Irish connection here.
1
Thanks for the reply. Yes you spelled it right, I have no way to type the mark above the s. My distant relative in CZ did the research at the Czech archive in Prague back to 1620. He said there was a little more information but the corner of page was torn and was lost from the book. The soldier in the Holy Roman Army of the 30 Years war seems to be the starting point of the name. Maybe he was German or maybe he really liked Risling wine. Somewhere along the line I got 8% Irish DNA that I can't explain.
This message was edited 11/4/2016, 3:26 PM
1
Whether or not the name Ryšlink started with this soldier, it's pretty widespread in the Czech Republic today as you can see at tinyurl.com/zdojocd.
1
There were thousands of Irish mercenaries soldiering in Europe from the 1690s to the 1790s, including in the military of Holy Roman Empire. I think Irish ancestry will be far more common in continental Europe than one might expect. The same is probably true of Scottish ancestry in the Baltic nations, where many Scots served in various armies, or became merchants and traders.
1