I have a couple of references in civil records to a "Jankel Holdengraber" as a sondek/witness for a couple of family events. I can find no other references to him.

Each of those events would be for affairs involving the children of first cousins of a "Jacob Holdengraber" at the same time. None of the several references to this Jacob refer to him as Jankel, though.

I'm curious for others' opinions: should I assume Jankel and Jacob are the same person? Does it make sense to guess that, when he was recorded for civil purposes as the central figure (as the groom or father) he went with the formal Jacob, but that -- when the event focused on others and he was just a witness -- he was at times more casually reported by his likely in-the-home name?

Thanks for insights or experience anyone can share.
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Joe Kraus
krausj2@...

Jankl is to Jacob as Jimmy is to James.
As is Jankif.


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Odeda Zlotnick
Jerusalem, Israel.

Yankel or Jankel is a diminutive or nickname for Jacob. Interestingly, Koppel is another one that occasionally comes up.

Leon Goliger

My grandmother married a second time after my grandfather died.  Her second husband's name was recorded as "Jake Yankel."  As Y is used in languages that do not have a J, it's clearly the same name. 
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Barbara Sloan
Conway, SC

My grandfather was called variously:
Jacob, Jasche (ship list), Jankel (mother's ship list saying who she was coming to in the USA), Jack (as I knew him).

Larry Bassist
USA

One thing should perhaps be clarified: Jankl is pronounced Yankl.  In German, Jacob is pronounced "Yakob" and in Hebrew, the name is Ya'akov.

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Odeda Zlotnick
Jerusalem, Israel.

Of course, both Yasha (< Yakov) and Jack (< Jacob) are variations on a theme.

Jules Levin, Los Angeles

My grandfather’s name was Jacob, but he always used the Yiddish form of Yonkel (sometimes Jankel).

Michael Gerber
Hewlett, NY

In my family, Jankiel in Poland/Lithuania  became Jacob in the UK, and was anglicized to both Jack and Julius, and in one case, John. 

Jill Whitehead, Surrey, UK

Hello Jill! What would be the Polish/Lithuanian version of Jacub Jacubs?
with thanks, Nettie Edwards 

My husband's grandfather was reported in the deportation records as Jankel, but his actual name was Johah, so that is also a possibiity.

Marijke Bekken,
Reno NV