About your last name
Question from E-mail
Steve: I am writing about your last name. My last name, Wasnick was originally spelled Wozniak. The last name was changed when my family imigrated to the United States. I wonder if we are distant relatives? I’d really like to speak with you about this topic.
Woz
I like hearing about so many other Wozniaks as there are in this country (and beyond). But I can’t really talk about it because I’m no heritage expert. There are other Steve Wozniaks and a local one gets email intended for me all the time. On the other hand, I was picking up a ticket at Air Cal in San Jose one day and the agent said “aren’t you…” to which I nodded my head “…the DJ?”, to which I had to explain that I was ‘another’ Steve Wozniak. Our namesake John Wozniak had a tremendous hit song, “Sex and Candy” by his group, “Marci Playground.” I know that there are many other highly credible Wozniaks. I even have an uncle who is a priest (I’ve never been to church though).
This Polish name helped a lot when I visited Poland. I actually have photographs of one of my sons teaching Lech Welensa to use a PowerBook.