Kaminski-Stanek relationship?

Question

I think the name Stanek comes from Kaminski in Polish, but I'm not sure. How can I find out if this was the translation on Ellis Island?

Answer 1

The only valid way to be sure is to trace the actual person(s) with the name, using such things as census records. Depending on when they immigrated, the census can show that as well. If you use ancestry.com, it does also have (some) immigration records indexed... if lucky, you can find the ship passenger list. Another good source to work with is finding if the person was naturalized, and finding that file.

In fact, there are many persons named Stanek living in the US prior to 1880, who give their place of birth as Bohemia, also Germany.  These people will not have come through Ellis Island.. they were here before it was built.

It is very possible that Stanek IS exactly that.