Hello,
When I search online, the surname Janota is believed to be a patronymic meaning ‘son of Jan’, however the suffix -ota / -otha is not typical in Czech or Polish. It is listed as a „Czech surname and famous clan of writers (history recorders) at court” on the forebears website. In the 1700’s, it was spelled as Janotha.
I propose a more likely etymology: – from „Jawnotho” (Yavnut, Eunat), Germanic, derived from the stem aun- (from Gothic aiws meaning „time, era” or Old High German ewi/eo meaning „law”) with a suffix -т- (-t-).
In the „4444 ostpreußische Namen prussisch erklärt”, by Heinz Georg Podohl, 1987, he identifies the name Janota in the Kurpie region with Jawnotho.
Apparently among the oldest known local reference to the surname was held by ‘Iohannes Iohannis Ianotha de Opol’ (literally meaning: John, [son] of John, Janota of Opole) , ‘clericus Wratislauiensis dyocesis’ (Cleric of the Diocese of Breslau) in 1408 .
Is this etymology possible? Or is -Ota a typical suffix in Polish for names?
Kind regards,
.
