Novak

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Novák (feminine Nováková), 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,[1] and Poland.

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. It was also used for newcomers into an army and as an occupational surname: people who used the slash-and-burn method to create new arable land - novina.[2]

Spelling

It is usually spelled:

It 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 the Czech "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 1831

In Poland, it is spelled Nowak and it is the most common surname. Statystyka najpopularniejszych nazwisk występujących w Polsce in 2009 (The most popular surnames in Poland in 2009). Retrieved on August 19, 2013. </ref> 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):

In Croatia, Novak is the sixth most common surname.[3]

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

Surnamed Nováková

Surnamed Nowak

Personal name Novak

Fictional characters

  • Casey Novak, in Law & Order: SVU
  • Holland and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka Seven
  • Jimmy Novak, the human vessel of Castiel, an angel of the Lord, from the television series Supernatural, and Jimmy's wife Amelia and daughter Claire
  • John Novak, protagonist of the television show Mr. Novak
  • 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
  • Vera Louise Gorman-Novak, in the television series Alice
  • Tom Nowak, in the movie Test pilota Pirxa
  • Zig Novak, character on television series Degrassi
  • Tommy Nowak, in the movie "Pink Cadillac" (played by Clint Eastwood

References

  1. ↑ "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. 
  2. ↑ http://www.mladina.si/93287/slo-intervju--bernard_nezmah/?utm_source=tednik%2F200420%2Fclanek%2Fslo-intervju--bernard_nezmah%2F&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=oldLink
  3. ↑ "Most frequent surnames, Census 2011". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012. Retrieved 2013-09-06. 
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