Joe,

A little bit more info please. Who of your ancestors was born and when and where in Serbia?

Thank you for the reply. I am afraid I do not really know. My information shows most "Manduka's" now live in Kosovo. All that I know is that my ancestor was born in Poland in 1820 and was a soldier in the Crimean war. There were Manduka's in Poland as early as 1751. Since Manduka is not a Polish name, and most today live in the Balkans, I thought my general inquiry might help me find relatives who perhaps left Serbia during one of the great migrations into the Austro-Hungarian empire.

I am sorry I do not have more information. The dates fit for my ancestor, Wladyslaw Manduka, to be derived from a family that left Serbia during a migration circa 1700. I was hoping someone there would know of this family during that period, but any and all information is much appreciated. Thank you.

Joe Manduke

Joe,

The spelling is crucial, is it perhaps, Mandžuka ?
This name is still used in Serbia today.

Thank you. Yes, I do think this is the correct spelling-Mandzuka. The internet shows Manduka in Serbia but perhaps a linguistic difference. Do you have any information or is their a family historian there? Thank you.

Joe "Mandzuka"

There are different branches of that family, some of them not related. What is the oldest ancestor you have that links you to Serbia.
The family name originated from Old Serbia.

The only spelling that I have is Manduka. The name is concentrated in Kosovo according to my research. I was assuming that the Z was dropped at some point.

I have seen it spelled Manduka as early as 1751 but in Poland. I do not have any direct evidence of an ancestor in Serbia, but it is the only lead I have. The "peoplesearch.org" website shows both spellings have nearly an identical demographic. Both names are very rare outside of Serbia.

You need to find a link from your ancestor in Poland to Serbia. Spelling is crucial so I suggest you first exhaust the Polish archives and see where they lead you. I couldn't access the peoplesearch.org website so I can't assess their sources.