Welcome to the Stavenow Family website.

This website is for you, as a relative of the family, who is curious about and searching for your roots.

The name Stavenow appears to be the Germanized/Latinized variant of the Obotritic name Stoignew. However, Stoignew seems to have Nordic origins, as claimed by several German historians. This theory now seems to be supported by the family's DNA tests, which confirm lineage from the Nordic regions. The Obotritic lord Stoignew/Stoineff (+955) and his brother Nakon (who, according to Marquardt, likely had the Nordic name Hakon in Swedish/Danish) (+c. 965), are said in literature to be sons of the Viking Gyrd. Thus, the name Stoignew/Stoineff is probably a "Polabianization" of a Nordic name, just as the Nordic Hakon became "Nakon" in Polabian, the Slavic language spoken by the Obotrites, which likely bears some similarities to Polish. Klempin and Kratz believed that "Stognew is a genuine Wendish personal name, meaning something like 'the angry one' – der Zornmüthige, formed from the verb 'Sto' meaning to stand (Stoi means 'he stands' in Polish), and 'gnew' which means anger in Polish." Thus, it could mean something like the resolute one.

If one tries to trace Stoignew/Stoineff to a Nordic name, it may have its origin in the word Stein, the Old Norse for stone. It could also be a more liberal translation of a name, not necessarily linguistically close but rather translated more or less by meaning or pronunciation.

In terms of pronunciation, one can see that Polish Gnew (anger) and the Nordic Knut (knot) are relatively similar. Since certain sounds cannot be pronounced the same way across languages, pronunciations are altered between languages. A Nordic name that comes to mind is "Hardeknut," i.e., the hard knot or the tough knot, a name that may have been difficult to translate or pronounce in the Polabian language. The meaning is relatively close. One can imagine a Nordic person trying to explain their name to a Slavic person, who then calls them what they perceive the name to be in their language. It's quite common for names to differ between languages; for instance, compare the name Guillaume, which means Wilhelm in French. Regardless of what the Polabian Stoignew means or whether it originated in the Nordic regions or in the Obotrite/Polish areas, the Slavic Stoignew was eventually Germanized to Stavenow. In areas governed by German law, the family called themselves Stavenow, while in areas governed by Obotritic or Polish law, they called themselves Stoignew/Stognew/Stoigneuus, etc. Originally, the name was used as a first name, but over time it also became a family name. Since the suffix "ow" means "of," as in "son of," this change may also relate to the transition from a first name to a surname. Our branch of the family has been called Stavenow since at least 1252. The Pomeranian branch continued using Stognew as a first name until the early 1300s, after which it became a surname for subsequent generations. The Pomeranian branch is also referred to as Stavenow in several Pomeranian documents. The families remaining in Poland continued to call themselves Stognew during the Middle Ages and beyond.

The oldest historical mention of the name Stoignew is in connection with Nakon and Stoignew's defense of the fortress Krohn in 954, which is located near the fortresses of Lenzen, Stavenow, and Gorlosen. Today these are in Germany, but in the 10th century, they were part of the western region of the Obotritic Kingdom. Later, the fortresses fell within the borderlands between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. Krohn was in Stoignew and Nakon's possession in 954. It is evident that Stavenow, Mellen, and Gorlosen were part of their heartland, and these neighboring towns to Krohn an der Elde likely belonged to Nakon and Stoignew.

The Stavenow family, according to its own tradition, originally hailed from what was referred to as "Russia." There is a DNA connection to the Rurikids, who originated from the Nordic regions. Therefore, there are matches with relatives in Russia, as well as in Poland. A particularly close DNA match is with the Viking grave in Bodzia, Poland, where a Viking warrior is buried next to a woman. In the grave, there was a magnificent Viking sword and a belt adorned with the coat of arms of Sviatopolk the Accursed, a Rurikid. Perhaps it was Sviatopolk himself or someone from his personal guard. His death in Polish exile aligns with the dating of the remains in the grave, as well as the woman in the grave, who, if she was Sviatopolk’s wife, was a daughter of King Bolesław of Poland. There is a strong DNA connection to both of these individuals. Additionally, there are DNA matches with more Rurikids, as well as with Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic Viking graves. There are also many matches at archaeological sites from the Bronze Age onwards, with relatives in Denmark, England, Iceland (10th century), Bohemia, Hungary, and more. An intriguing DNA match is with the House of Bathory, which also bore the spade shield and is said to have originated from the castle of Stauf in Swabia.

In ancient times, the term "Russia" referred to parts of Ukraine, Latvia, and Poland, where Rurik's sons, the Rus, lived and ruled (Norsemen from Roslagen). According to the German historian Helmut Schröcke, brothers Stoignew and Nakon originally hailed from the Nordic region and were presumed to be sons of Gyrd, brother to Gnupa, who was the son of Olaf the Brash. According to the Danish genealogist Peter Lawaetz, Olaf was the son of Ivar the Boneless, who was King of Dublin. Olaf conquered Denmark and the Obotritic region. He held power in Denmark until his death, after which Gnupa continued to rule Denmark and the Obotrites. Gyrd is also said to have ruled in the Obotritic region as prince of the Wagrians. They ruled from various locations but likely had their seat in Haitabu (Hedeby) in Schleswig and Lenzen (near Stavenow). In connection with the excavations in Hedeby, we can see that we have DNA relatives buried there in the 10th century. The family was displaced from its original territory in 955 when Stoignew was executed after the Battle of Raxa. Their descendants then sought refuge with the Piast dynasty in Poland, with whom they were also likely related. We have been able to gain insight into this connection through DNA tests. The family "Dirsico-Stoignew," named so because these first names were often alternated, resided at their ancestral estate Machow and various other estates in Poland. A magnificent Viking sword was also excavated in Machow, which can be viewed at the Polish State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw (Państwowego Muzeum Archeologicznego). This suggests that Vikings owned and were buried at the estate of Machow.

It is likely that the family’s time in Poland is what was referred to when they said they originated from "Russia." The Machow fortification was located near Krakow. However, most of the estates in Poland and Silesia were donated to German monasteries and the Knights of St. John in the 1100s and 1200s. The family then gradually moved back to what had become German territories. One of the oldest descriptions of Poland that still exists today was written by a Jewish traveler, Ibrahim ibn Yaqub, from Spain. He undertook his journey between 961 and 966. Ibrahim describes Pomerania and areas further south, such as Prague: "As for the land of Bûislâw, it extends in length from the city of Prague to the city of Krakow... The city of Prague is built of stone and mortar, and it is the largest trading center in these lands. The Rus and the Slavs come to it from the city of Krakow with goods, and Muhammadans, Jews, and Turks also come to them from the Turkish lands with goods and valid currency, trading slaves, tin, and various furs." Thus, Rus lived in Poland even during this time. One must likely view the family's origins in "Russia" from the perspective that, although originally of Nordic or Wendish descent, they later originated and owned large estates further east in Poland. The Rus took their name from Rurik, the Viking chieftain who ruled over Russia. Ibrahim ibn Yaqub also encountered and described the Obotritic prince Nakon (Stoignew’s brother), who still held the fortress Lenzen and other fortifications along the Elbe and inland as of 965. He is described as one of the most powerful princes of his time. Unlike Stoignew, who grossly insulted his enemy the day before the Battle of Raxa after being offered peace, Nakon did not burn his bridges with the Germans, who allowed him to continue ruling. This strategy led to Stoignew’s execution after the battle, and his relatives probably took the safer route and fled eastward.

The texts we are currently working on are being compiled into book form. What is available on the website is largely accurate information, but new information is constantly emerging through research. Some things must therefore be continuously revised and supplemented. This takes time—lots of time.