Wikipedia:
Novák, Novak or Nowak is a surname in a number of Slavic languages, and one of the most popular surnames in many Slavic countries, namely the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Russia.
The name is derived from the Slavic word for "new" (e.g. Czech: nový), meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer" or "stranger" in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity.
Spelling
It is usually spelled:
Novák in Czech and SlovakNowak in PolishNovak in Serbian, Croatian, SloveneНовак, Novak in Serbian Cyrillic, Russian, Ukrainian and BelarussianIt is pronounced almost the same way: the main difference is that in Slovene, the stress is usually on the last syllable, while in all other cases it is on the first one.
Many Americans of the surname Nowak have had it Anglicized to Novak.
In the Austrian capital of Vienna, where large Czech communities settled down at the end of 19th century, Novák was Germanized to Nowak because in German the "w" is pronounced as a "v".
Country specifics
There are two noble Nowak lines of Polish origin:
Bohemian barones from 1660, in Silesia from the 15th century, (Anatol Nowak, archbishop of Wrocław, died in 1456).In Masovia known from 1750, Antoni and Józef Nowak - Lt Generals of Polish Army in Napoleon's Campaign; Aleksander Nowak - Lt Gen in Polish-Russian War of 1831In Poland, it is spelled Nowak. It is the most common surname and 203,506 people carry it. The archaic feminine version of the Polish version is Nowakowa and its plural Nowakowie. In that country, Nowakowski, Nowacki, and Nowakiewicz developed as well.
"Nowak" as a surname in Voivodeships (administrative units in Poland):
Nowak is 1st in Greater Poland Voivodeship (35,011)Nowak is 1st in Silesian Voivodeship (31,838)Nowak is 1st in Lesser Poland Voivodeship (23,671)Nowak is 1st in Łódź Voivodeship (15,460)Nowak is 1st in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (13,217)Nowak is 1st in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (7,444)Nowak is 1st in Opole Voivodeship (5,538)Nowak is 1st in Lubusz Voivodeship (5,444)Nowak is 1st in Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship (5,538)Nowak is 2nd in Subcarpathian Voivodship (9,301)In Croatia, Novak is the fifth most common surname (11,396 people).
In Serbia and Montenegro, there are people that have the first name Novak. Novaković and Novakov also developed in Serbia.
Novák is the most common surname in the Czech republic.
Novak is the most common surname in Slovenia, too, with more than 11,000 sharing it. There are however significant variations between regions: it's 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's 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:
Novak is 1st in the Central Slovenian statistical region (3,422)Novak is 1st in the Savinja statistical region (1.380)Novak is 2nd in the South-east Slovenian statistical region (1,231)Novak is 2nd in the Mura statistical region (1,040)Novak is 3rd in the Drava statistical region (1,732)Novak is 5th in the Upper Carniolan statistical region (963)Novak is 5th in the Lower Sava statistical region (380)Novak is 6th in the Coastal-Karst statistical region (228)Novak is 8th in the Central Sava statistical region (192)Novak is 10th in the Carinthian statistical region (238)Novak is 11th in the Inner Carniolan-Karst statistical region (228)Novak is 131st in the Goriška statistical region (171)
People
Surnamed Novak
Arne Novák (1880–1939), Czech literary historian and criticB. J. Novak (born 1979), American writer, comedian and actor known for The OfficeBrandon Novak (born 1978), American skateboarderDavid Novak (born 1941), American scholar of Jewish philosophy, law and ethicsDavid C. Novak, American business executiveDžoni Novak (born 1969), Slovenian former footballerÉva Novák-Gerard (1930–2005), Hungarian swimmerFerenc Novák (born 1969), Hungarian canoer and Olympic championFilip Novák (born 1982), Czech professional ice hockey defencemanGabi Novak (born 1936), Croatian pop singerGrga Novak (1888–1978), Croatian historian, archaeologist and geographerGrigory Novak (1919–1980), Soviet Olympic weightlifterHarry Novak, American producer of exploitation filmsIlona Novák (born 1925), Hungarian swimmer and Olympic championJan Novák (1921–1984), Czech composerJan Novák (ice hockey) (born 1979), Czech professional ice hockey playerJán Novák (footballer born 1985), Slovak footballerJane Novak (1896–1990), actress in silent filmsJason Novak, American musician and producerJim Novak, American comic book lettererJiří Novák (born 1975), Czech former tennis playerJoe Novak (born 1945), retired college football coachJohn Novak (born 1955), actorJoseph D. Novak (born 1932), American educatorKate Novak, American fantasy writerKayvan Novak (born 1978), British-Iranian actorKevin Novak (born 1982), American soccer playerKim Novak (born 1933), American actressLadislav Novák (born 1931), Czech football player and managerLaila Novak (born 1942), Swedish model and actressLjudmila Novak (born 1959), Slovenian politician and Member of the European ParliamentMel Novak, American actorMichael Novak (born 1933), conservative American Roman Catholic philosopher and diplomatMike Novak (1915–1978), American National Basketball League playerMirjam Novak (born 1981) German actress and screenwriterNick Novak (born 1981), National Football League placekickerPetr Novák (1945–1997), Czech rock musicianRobert Novak (1931–2009), American journalist and conservative political commentatorSlobodan Novak (born 1924), Croatian writerStarina Novak (~1530–1601), Serbian soldier and heroSteve Novak (born 1983), basketball playerTom Novak, marketing professorVilmos Aba-Novák (1894–1941), Hungarian painter and graphic artistVítězslav Novák (1870–1949), Czech composerViveca Novak, American journalistVjenceslav Novak (1859–1903), Croatian writerVladimir Novak (disambiguation), multiple people Surnamed Nowak
Amram Nowak, Academy Award-nominated director of Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis SingerAndrzej Nowak (disambiguation), several persons of that nameDariusz Nowak-Nova (born 1962), Polish artistHenry J. Nowak (born 1935), Member of United States House of Representatives (1975–1993)Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (1913–2005) - Polish journalist and WWII heroJulian Ignacy Nowak (1865–1946) - Polish physician, veterinarian, bacteriologist, and politicianKazimierz Nowak (1897–1937), Polish travelerLeopold Nowak (1904–1991), Austrian musicologistLisa Nowak, (born 1963), American astronautMark Nowak, (born 1964), American poet and writerManfred Nowak (born 1950), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on TortureMartin Nowak, Austrian mathematical biologistPiotr Nowak (born 1964), Polish footballer and managerZenon Nowak (1905–1980), Polish trade union activist and politician Personal name Novak
Novak Djokovic, (born 1987) tennis playerNovak Novak sh:Novak Novak, (1928–1995) Serbian Writer and Journalist Fictional characters
Casey Novak, a fictional ADA appearing in Law & Order: SVUHolland Novak and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka SevenJimmy Novak, the human vessel of Castiel, an angel of the Lord, from the television series Supernatural, and Jimmy's wife Amelia and daughter ClaireLindsey Novak, recurring character in the Stargate Atlantis television seriesPat Novak, character played by Jack Webb in the old-time radio program Pat Novak for HireVera Louise Gorman-Novak, in the television series AliceTom Nowak, character of the movie "Test pilota Pirxa".
