The Los family originated in Poland, and the name is one of the very rare one-syllable Polish names. The original spelling carries a bar across the stem of the “L” and an accent mark over the “s,” with the pronunciation being something like “wosh.” In the United States, it is pronounced “los” with a long “o.” The name means “elk.”

I do not know much about my father’s family. My grandparents, along with a young son, arrived in the United States about 1905 and settled in Bergen County, NJ. My father, Alexander Los, Jr., was born in Lodi on December 25, 1910. His sister, Laurette, was born in 1906; another sister, Janina, was born in 1908, though some records say it was 1913.

My grandfather, Alexander Los, Sr., was a carpenter by trade, and had been a member of the Polish cavalry. My grandmother, whose given name was changed by Immigration from Leocadia to Leonja — and for whom I am named — was a talented needlewoman who spoke several languages; her rose garden was the talk of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.

Both my grandparents died when I was a teenager, but I remember well their homes in Hasbrouck Heights and later in Clinton, NJ. They, along with my parents, are buried in a rural cemetery in Northport, LI, NY, adjacent to the home where I grew up.

I have just learned the the names of my paternal great-grandparents and will update this information soon. I do not know if my grandparents had siblings. Perhaps someone reading this page will be able to provide some clues!

http://www.speakeasy.org/~duchess/losfamily.html