Sources & Methodology

Purpose and scope

Roots of Tyranski is an educational archive. It presents research leads, contextual information and source-based interpretations concerning the Tyranski surname and family history. It does not replace original archival research, official civil-status records or professional legal advice.

A source can support a specific claim only to the extent that its date, authorship, provenance, scope and reliability allow. A general reference to a surname database or an archive is not, by itself, proof of descent from a particular historical person or family line.

Source hierarchy

When possible, we prefer sources in the following order:

1. Original or digitised primary records — civil-registration records, parish registers, notarial deeds, censuses, court records, land records, military records and contemporary correspondence.
2. Archival catalogues and finding aids — tools used to identify potentially relevant archival units, references and collections.
3. Scholarly publications and specialist dictionaries — used for historical, linguistic and demographic context.
4. Official public databases — used according to their stated scope, update cycle and methodology.
5. Secondary databases and user-contributed platforms — used only as research leads, not as sole proof of genealogical claims.

Main types of sources

Polish surname research

The Polish surname database maintained by the National Institute of Polish Language of the Polish Academy of Sciences may be used for information about surname forms, historical development and geographical occurrence where the database covers the relevant question. It should not be treated as proof that all people with the same surname descend from one common ancestor.

Historical dictionaries and linguistic sources

Historical dictionaries, etymological dictionaries and contemporary lexicographic works may be used to discuss the documented meanings and historical usage of words. A similarity between a surname and a modern word does not alone establish the origin of that surname. Etymological conclusions should be presented as supported interpretations and linked to the source used.

Genealogical and civil records

Parish registers, civil-registration records and other original or digitised archival materials are the principal evidence for family relationships. A proposed parent-child link should be supported by records from the relevant time and place, with attention to variant spellings, ages, occupations, witnesses, godparents, residences and possible duplicate names.

Archival collections

Catalogues and inventories of state, church and specialist archives are used to identify collections that may contain relevant records. For twentieth-century research, the Institute of National Remembrance archive inventory may help identify descriptions of archival holdings and persons or topics mentioned in records. Catalogue descriptions are not automatically evidence of a person's conduct, identity or family relationship; the underlying record and its context should be examined where accessible.

International surname-distribution databases

Services such as Forebears may be used only as secondary, orientation-level material for modern or historical surname-distribution research. Their figures, collection methods, dates and territorial coverage should be checked before they are cited. Such databases are not primary evidence of ancestry.

Method for genealogical claims

Before presenting a family relationship as confirmed, we aim to verify a continuous chain of evidence from one generation to the next. We distinguish between:

• confirmed facts — supported by a cited primary record or reliable equivalent;
• well-supported hypotheses — consistent with available evidence but requiring additional confirmation;
• research leads — possible connections, spellings, places or collections for future investigation;
• family tradition — oral history or submitted information not yet independently verified.

Where evidence is incomplete or conflicting, the archive should state the limitation rather than presenting a conclusion as certain. Genealogical conclusions may change if new records, better scans or corrected transcriptions become available.

Demographic and numerical data

Numerical data is cited with its source and, where known, its reference date. Surname counts and geographic distributions can change over time because of births, deaths, migration, administrative changes and database updates. For this reason, figures should be read as a snapshot from the stated source and period, not as a permanent total.

Verification labels

The label “Source verified” means that the editorial team has checked the claim against the source cited on the relevant page. It does not mean that every detail of a wider family narrative has been independently confirmed, nor does it guarantee that no new evidence will later alter the interpretation.

Corrections and contributed material

Readers may submit corrections, scans, transcriptions and family information through the Add entry form. Please identify the source, archive, collection, reference number, record date and page or image number whenever possible.

Submitted material is reviewed before publication. Publication is not automatic, and materials may be edited for clarity, source attribution, privacy and legal reasons. Do not submit private or sensitive information about living people without an appropriate basis to share it.

Current source list

• Polish surname database – National Institute of Polish Language, Polish Academy of Sciences.
• Parish, diocesan, state and civil-registration archives relevant to the specific record cited in an article or archive entry.
• Institute of National Remembrance archival inventory and related IPN archival tools.
• Historical and etymological dictionaries identified in the notes of the relevant article.
• Forebears, used only as a secondary source for surname-distribution research.