L. L. Zamenhof the Yiddish form of the forename and a russified version of his surname; many later Russian language documents also include the patronymic "Markovich", as is the custom in the language. His family name is of German origin and was originally written "Samenhof"; the spelling Zamenhof reflects the romanization of the Yiddish spelling , as well as the Esperanto and Polish spellings. In his adolescence he used both the Yiddish "Leyzer" and the Russian "Lazar". While at university, Zamenhof began using the Russian name "Lyudovik" (also transcribed "Ludovic" or translated as "Ludwig") in place of "Lazar", possibly in honor of Francis
Justus Ludwik Decjusz by the "Stowarzyszenie Willa Decjusza" (Organization Decjusz's Villa), which is located in the building. Justus Ludwik Decjusz Justus Ludwik Decjusz (, ; 1485–1545) was a notable Polish burgher and diplomat of German origin in 16th-century Kraków. He served as a finance minister and secretary to the Polish king Sigismund I the Old. Originally from Alsace, Decjusz's career peaked with his appointment as the king's personal adviser and overseer of the royal mint. He was also the author of a widely circulated text "De vetustatibus Polonorum" (, "On the Ancient Origins of the Poles"), an early version of the Sarmatian myth