Novak
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Novak (in Serbo-Croatian and Slovene; Cyrillic: Новак), Novák (in Hungarian, Czech and Slovak), Nowak (in German and Polish) is a Slavic surname and masculine given name, derived from the word for "new" (e.g. Polish: nowy, Czech: nový, Serbo-Croatian: novo / ново), which depending on the exact language and usage, translates as "novice", "new man", "newcomer", or "stranger". The name was often given to a new arrival in a city or a convert to Christianity. It was also used for newcomers to an army and as an occupational surname for people who used the slash-and-burn method to create new arable land—novina.[1] It is pronounced almost the same way in most languages, with the stress on the first syllable. The main exception is Slovene, which places the stress on the last syllable.
It is the most common surname in the Czech Republic,[2][3] Poland,[4] and Slovenia,[5] and the sixth most common in Croatia. It is also found in Romania and Moldova in the Novac form and among Ashkenazi Jews in various forms depending on their country of origin.[6]
Spelling
The surname is usually spelled Novák in Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian, Nowak in Polish, Novak (Cyrillic: Новак) in Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian, and Novac in Romanian. In Germany, the most common orthography is Nowak, with German "w" pronounced as English "v". Many Americans with the surname Nowak have Anglicized it to Novak or Novack.
In specific countries
Poland
As of 2009, Nowak (Polish pronunciation: [ˈnɔvak]) is the most common surname in Poland, having surpassed Kowalski.[4] Its plural is Nowakowie ([nɔvaˈkɔvjɛ]). Nowak is used by both male and female individuals. The archaic feminine version is Nowakowa ([nɔvaˈkɔva]). Related surnames include Nowakowski (feminine: Nowakowska; plural: Nowakowscy), Nowacki (feminine: Nowacka; plural: Nowaccy), and Nowakiewicz (gender-neutral).
Nowak is the most common surname in nine voivodeships (administrative units) of Poland, and second in another. It is ranked first in Greater Poland Voivodeship (35,011), Silesian Voivodeship (31,838), Lesser Poland Voivodeship (23,671), Łódź Voivodeship (15,460), Lower Silesian Voivodeship (13,217), West Pomeranian Voivodeship (7,444), Opole Voivodeship (5,538), Lubusz Voivodeship (5,444), and Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship (5,538), and second in Subcarpathian Voivodeship (9,301).
There are two noble families of Polish origin with the surname Nowak:
- One family appeared in Silesia in the 15th century. It included Anatol Nowak (died 1456), Archbishop of Wrocław. A branch of this family became barons in Bohemia in 1660.
- One family appeared in Masovia around 1750. This family included Antoni and Józef Nowak, generals in the Polish army that served Napoleon, and Aleksander Nowak, a general of the Polish forces during the November Uprising in 1831 against Russia.
Czech Republic and Slovakia
Novák is widespread in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In both countries, the feminine form is Nováková. It is the most common surname in the Czech Republic.[2][3]
Slovenia
Novak is the most common surname in Slovenia with more than 11,000 sharing it.[5] There are however significant variations between regions: it is very common in central Slovenia (in the regions around Ljubljana and Celje), as well as in parts of southern Slovenia and eastern Slovenia (Lower Carniola, Prekmurje). It is much less common in northern and western Slovenia; in the Goriška region on the border with Italy, it is quite rare. The rank of the surname Novak in the Slovenian statistical regions: 1st in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region (3,422) and Savinja Statistical Region (1,380); 2nd in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region (1,231) and Mura Statistical Region (1,040); 3rd in the Drava Statistical Region (1,732); 5th in the Upper Carniola Statistical Region (963) and Lower Sava Statistical Region (380); 6th in the Coastal–Karst Statistical Region (228); 8th in the Central Sava Statistical Region (192); 10th in the Carinthia Statistical Region (238); 11th in the Inner Carniola–Karst Statistical Region (228); 131st in the Gorizia Statistical Region (171).
Other countries
In Croatia, Novak is the sixth most common surname.[7]
In Serbia and Montenegro, Novak is a given name, while Novaković is found as a common surname.
In Germany, Nowak is 159th (c. 31,000) and Noack is 270th (c. 22,000), together with different spellings (c. 64,000), with some concentration in the Ruhr area, around Salzgitter and Lüchow-Dannenberg and as Noack in Lusatia.
People
Novak and Novák surname
- Alexander Novak (born 1971), Russian politician
- Andriy Novak (born 1988), Ukrainian footballer
- Arne Novák (1880–1939), Czech literary historian and critic
- B. J. Novak (born 1979), American writer, comedian and actor known for The Office
- Brandon Novak skateboarder American skateboarder
- David Novak (born 1941), American scholar of Jewish philosophy, law and ethics
- David C. Novak, American business executive
- Dennis Novak (born 1993), Austrian tennis player
- Dragutin Novak (1892–1978), Croatian aviator
- Džoni Novak (born 1969), Slovenian former footballer
- Éva Novák-Gerard (1930–2005), Hungarian swimmer
- Ferenc Novák (born 1969), Hungarian canoer and Olympic champion
- Filip Novák (born 1982), Czech professional ice hockey defenceman
- Franz Novak (1913–1983), Austrian SS-Hauptsturmführer
- Gabi Novak (born 1936), Croatian pop singer
- Grga Novak (1888–1978), Croatian historian, archaeologist and geographer
- Grigory Novak (1919–1980), Soviet Olympic weightlifter, Ukrainian SSR
- Harry Novak, American producer of exploitation films
- Ilona Novák (born 1925), Hungarian swimmer and Olympic champion
- Jan Novák (composer) (1921–1984), Czech composer
- Jan Novák (ice hockey) (born 1979), Czech professional ice hockey player
- Ján Novák (footballer), Slovak footballer
- Jane Novak (1896–1990), actress in silent films
- Jim Novak, American comic book letterer
- Jiří Novák (born 1975), Czech former tennis player
- Joe Novak (born 1945), retired college football coach
- John Novak (born 1955), actor
- John Philip Novak (born 1946), American politician
- Joseph D. Novak (born 1932), American educator
- Karel Novák, Czech slalom canoeist
- Kate Novak, American fantasy writer
- Kayvan Novak (born 1978), British-Iranian actor
- Kevin Novak (born 1982), American soccer player
- Kim Novak (born 1933), American actress
- Ladislav Novák (born 1931), Czech football player and manager
- Laila Novak (born 1942), Swedish model and actress
- Ljudmila Novak (born 1959), Slovenian politician and Member of the European Parliament
- Matěj Novák, Czech figure skater
- Mel Novak, American actor
- Michael Novak (1933–2017), conservative American Roman Catholic philosopher and diplomat
- Mike Novak (1915–1978), American National Basketball League player
- Mirjam Novak (born 1981) German actress and screenwriter
- Miroslav Novák, Czech Hussite bishop
- Nick Novak (born 1981), National Football League placekicker
- Otto Novák, Czech footballer
- Petr Novák (disambiguation)
- Robert Novak (1931–2009), American journalist and conservative political commentator
- Slobodan Prosperov Novak (1951–), Croatian literary historian
- Slobodan Novak (1924–2016), Croatian writer
- Štefan Novák (born 1879), Greek Catholic Bishop of the Eparchy of Prešov
- Steve Novak (born 1983), basketball player
- Tom Novak, marketing professor
- Vilmos Aba-Novák (1894–1941), Hungarian painter and graphic artist
- Vítězslav Novák (1870–1949), Czech composer
- Viveca Novak, American journalist
- Vjenceslav Novak (1859–1905), Croatian writer
- Vladimír Novák (painter) (born 1947), Czech painter
- Vladimír Novák (skier) (1904–1986), Czechoslovak Nordic skier
Nováková surname
- Ivana Nováková, Czech basketball player
- Karolína Nováková (born 1994), football midfielder
- Kristýna Nováková (born 1983), Czech film and television actress
- Petra Nováková, Czech skier
- Soňa Nováková (born 1975), Czech female beach volleyball player
- Šárka Nováková (born 1971), Czech high jumper
- Teréza Nováková, a Czech feminist author, editor, and ethnographer
- Vratislava Nováková, Czechoslovak slalom canoer
Nowak surname
- Amram Nowak, Academy Award–nominated director of Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer
- Andrzej Nowak (disambiguation), several persons of that name
- Anton Nowak (1865–1932), Austrian artist
- Henry J. Nowak (born 1935), Member of United States House of Representatives (1975–1993)
- Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (1913–2005), Polish journalist and World War II hero
- Józef Nowak (1925–1984), Polish actor
- Julian Ignacy Nowak (1865–1946), Polish physician, veterinarian, bacteriologist, and politician
- Kazimierz Nowak (1897–1937), Polish traveler
- Leopold Nowak (1904–1991), Austrian musicologist
- Lisa Nowak, (born 1963), American astronaut
- Łukasz Nowak, Polish athlete
- Mark Nowak, (born 1964), American poet and writer
- Manfred Nowak (born 1950), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture
- Martin Nowak (born 1965), Austrian mathematical biologist
- Oskar Nowak, Austrian ice hockey player
- Piotr Nowak (born 1964), Polish footballer and manager
- Teresa Suchecka-Nowak (1926-2011), Polish World War II underground fighter
- Wanda Nowak, Austrian athlete
- Zdzisław Nowak, Polish athlete
- Zenon Nowak (1905–1980), Polish trade union activist and politician
Novak given name
- Starina Novak (1530–1601), Serbian brigand and rebel
- Novak Djokovic (born 1987), Serbian tennis player
- Novak Grebostrek (fl. 1312), Serbian commander
- Novak Karaljuk (fl. 1404), Serbian commander
- Novak Kilibarda (born 1934), Montenegrin politician
- Novak Martinović (born 1985), Serbian footballer
- Novak Novak (1928–1995), Serbian writer and journalist
- Novak Radonić (1826–1890), Serbian painter
- Novak Roganović (1932–2008), Serbian footballer
- Novak Tomić (1936–2003), Serbian footballer
Fictional characters
- Arpad Novack, from Illatszertár, the Hungarian play used as inspiration for The Shop Around the Corner
- Billy Novak, in the Amazon television series The Collection
- Casey Novak, in Law & Order: SVU
- Dazzle Novak, in the television series Moonbeam City
- Georg Nowack, a character from the musical She Loves Me inspired by The Shop Around the Corner
- Holland and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka Seven
- James Novak, a character on the television series Scandal
- Jimmy Novak, his wife Amelia and his daughter Claire Novak, from the television series Supernatural
- John Novak, protagonist of the television show Mr. Novak
- Klara Novak, a character on The Shop Around the Corner, played by Margaret Sullavan
- Lindsey Novak, recurring character in the Stargate Atlantis television series
- Pat Novak, played by Jack Webb in the old-time radio program Pat Novak for Hire
- Pat Novak, in The Novak Element in the movie Robocop
- Tom Nowak, in the movie Test pilota Pirxa
- Tommy Nowak, in the movie Pink Cadillac, played by Clint Eastwood
- Trishka Novak, character in the 2011 video game Bulletstorm
- Zig Novak, character on television series Degrassi (franchise)
References
- ↑ Izvori priimkov. Imenoslovec prof. Pavle Merku. Mladina.si.
- 1 2 Mužská příjmení - občané ČR a cizí státní příslušníci - 20 nejčetnějších
- 1 2 Ženská přijmení - občanky ČR a cizí státní příslušnice - 20 nejčetnějších
- 1 2 Statystyka najpopularniejszych nazwisk występujących w Polsce in 2009 Archived 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. ("The most popular surnames in Poland in 2009"). Retrieved August 19, 2013.
- 1 2 "Database of first names and family names". Demography and Social Studies. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- ↑ Laurence Urdang. The Last Word: The English Language: Opinions and Prejudices. OmniData. 2008. p. 228.
- ↑ "Most frequent surnames, Census 2011". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012. Retrieved 2013-09-06.