My family ancestors (grandparents) came from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s' to live in the United States of America.  There were several Slovak communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania.  My parents were born and raised in two of these communities.  My fathers' brother married my mothers' sister which was common in these communities.

All most all Repasky immigrants were processed through Ellis Island.  The immigration officers used ship manifests to correctly identify an immigrants name.   There were different causes for the many variations of an immigrants name.   Foremost was President Roosevelt's wish that immigrants Anglicize their surname.   Census takers state and local officials being English and Scottish, pronounced and spelled foreign names in their vernacular, often times with distortions.  The Repasky name has many variations as well.

The root of the Repasky name is Repa, and Repa stands for beet or root plant.   Early Slovak root growers became known as a Repa.  Time imposed recognition among the Repa people.  The males were called Repasky and the females were called Repaska.  And this naming convention still exists in Slovakia today.

Some of the variations: Rapasky, Rapesky, Rapusky, Rapetski, Repitsky.  Some Anglicized their name to Repass.  However, not all Repass are Repaskys

Even though an exhaustive search has not done, most every 'Repasky' in the US seems to be related to my family.  Nearly all  Repaskys' in Ohio and Pennsylvania are related.  My parents moved to California in the 1970s' and met a Repasky (in California) who is also related.  My grandfather had several brothers who also came to the US.

As a second generation American, I was raised with Slovak speaking parents and grandparents.  My father still receives a Slovak newspaper.  

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