In a message dated 8/15/98 5:24:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jrw@Brown.edu
writes:

<< translation as to the firstname of Szapse. The origin is
>>from Austria and the Hebrew Name would be Yitzchak. Thank you
>
>Mike Greenberg

Even though your ancestor's Hebrew name was Yitzchak, the name Szapse does
not correspond to Yitzhak (which is Itzik in Yiddish, Isaac in English
transliteration). Szapse sounds like a Yiddish abbreviation of the Hebrew
name"Shabbsai" (an Ashkenazic pronunciation of Shabbetai.). Perhaps your
ancestor had two names, Shabbetai Yitzchak or vice versa?
>>

Shepsl (Schepsel) are popular forms for Shabbetai. Seppel/Sheppel can be a
form of Josef

Michael Bernet, New York