An Ashkenazic Jewish and Slavic surname, "Czernikowski" (
pronounced "T'sh-er-nee-kov-skee") is a name
related to "Black" ("Czarny" or "Czarna") or a place name (e.g., "Czarnia" for the Czarna or Czarnia River in
Northeastern Poland).
Unfortunately, a number of
Holocaust victims bore the name "Czernikowski" (
according to YadVashem.org). The Czernikowski family often cited by Yad Vashem seems to come from the Lodz and Kielce, Poland regions (among other places).