# Tom Hnatiw - origin of name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719 "2003-10-05T16:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/1 "2003-10-05T16:05:11Z")
Tom Hnatiw is the co-host of “Dream Car Garage” on the Speed Channel (as well as writing a car column on Canada amongst other things). According to [this site](http://www.yearone.com/leader_ads/tomh.html) his last name is pronounced “NA-choo”. What is the origin of such a name? I would have never gotten close to this pronounciation in a million years. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/2 "2003-10-05T16:14:55Z")
Knew some Hnatiws growing up. I believe it’s Ukrainian. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/3 "2003-10-05T17:38:29Z")
\ Looks like some Croatian names I’ve seen in the news. \ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/4 "2003-10-05T17:52:28Z")
[Person on Ancestry.com message board says](http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/surnames.hnatiw/2) > [@](#): > > Hi, My name is Mason Hnatiw, I am part of the Hnatiw family living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Recently, one of my relatives invested to get research done on the origin of the name Hnatiw. So here goes my interpretation… > > Hnatiw is a name of Ukranian origin. The word “Hnat” derives from the greek word “Ignatius”, meaning “fire” or “of fire”. The name Hnatiw was used by followers of St. Ignatius of Antioch. In traditional Russian, the name Hnatiw translates to “Ignatiw”. The shield of Hnatiw is a field of red with a tree trunk with five roots, with three pine trees growing from the single trunk. Above the shield is a knight of sorts, holding the three pointed tree in one hand, with what looks to be a scroll or sword in the other. > > Well that’s it. I hope you are as proud of your heritage as I am! ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/5 "2003-10-05T17:57:11Z")
Just for the record, I don’t know Mason, in spite of my claim to knowing Hnatiws and living in Saskatoon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-hnatiw-origin-of-name/205719/6 "2003-10-05T18:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorsnak \* > \*\*Just for the record, I don’t know Mason, in spite of my claim to knowing Hnatiws and living in Saskatoon. 🙂 \*\* Mason’s coming over directly to have sit down with you. He’ll be at your place within the hour.