Robert Strumwasser posted as follows:

I recently came across the name "Szejma Zmarl" in the 1939 Census of Biala
Podlaska.

After searching the Given Names DataBase (GNDB), I've concluded that "Zmarl"
is "Shmarya." Does this appear to be correct?

As for "Szejma," I'm guessing that it's "Shmuel," as the GNDB gives one
Yiddish nickname as "Shmie."

The name Szejma is a secularized (Poland) version of the Yiddish nickname
Sheyme. Sheyme is linked to the Yiddish name Sheynman ("Handsome man") as
a nickname. Both of these names were used in Poland. It is likely that
the Polish version of the Yiddish name was recorded in the book by a Polish
civil servant and that he recorded the name as he heard it pronounced.

Another possibility is that the name Szejma was a (Polonized) Yiddish name
(Sheyme) associated with the Hebrew name Shemaye (Kings II 12:22). I have
not yet seen this use in Poland, but it was used this way in Germany and a
few other countries. In fact, in German-speaking countries, the Yiddish
name Sheyma was a formal kinui for the name Shemaye, so that a person
having both names would be called to the Tora in an aliya using the double
name Shemaye Sheyma.

Probably both possibilities should be considered as hypotheses for future
research.

Incidentally, the name Szejma will be found in the Polish Given Names Data
Base by searching for it using Global Text Search and the search name
"Szejma" (without the quotation marks):

< http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/GivenNames/ >

Professor G. L. Esterson, Ra'anana, Israel