Csák was the name of a gens (Latin for "clan"; nemzetség in Hungarian) in the Kingdom of Hungary.
The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum ("Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians") records that the ancestor of the family was Szabolcs, son of chieftain Előd, the leader of one of the seven Magyar tribes. The family was probably connected to the Árpád dynasty. Their ancient possessions were located around the Vértes Mountains in Transdanubia; Csákvár ("castle of Csák") and Csákberény villages still bear their name. The family was named after Szabolcs' grandson who had a fortress built on his possessions.
The most prominent members of the family were Máté Csák III and Ugrin Csák who were powerful aristocrats of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 1290s.
The gens divided into 12 branches and several families in the course of the centuries. The Csáky de Mihály family also belongs to the Csák gens.
Csák, ancestor and denominator of the gens CsákUgrin (12th century), ispánThe numbering means within the branch.LukaDemetrius I (fl. 1217–1254), judge royal (1233–1234; 1242–1245)Ugod (fl. 1264–1270)Demetrius II (fl. 1277–1285; d. before 1287), wildgrave of Bakony (1281); married N KőszegiBlessed Maurice (d. 20 March 1336), Dominican friarCsák II (d. before 1309), last male descendantKunigunda or Kingus (fl. 1317), married Julius II Rátót(?) Michael (fl. 1270–1277), ispán of Nyitra County (according to Pál Engel)Unknown daughter (fl. 1232), married Csépán II GyőrCsák I (fl. 1264–1270), wildgrave of Bakony (1270)(?) AdamPaulPeter (fl. c. 1305)Ugrin (d. 1204), archbishop of Esztergom, maybe son of ispán UgrinNicholas, his testament of 1231 mentions archbishop Ugrin as his pater, but more likely that he was Nicholas' uncleThe numbering means within the branch.
Bás I, ispánBás IICsákJohn (d. before 1324), judge royal (1311–1314)Pós I, master of the treasury for prince (1227–1233) then King Béla IV (1235)Pós II, ban of Severin (1240)Ugrin III (c. 1240–1311), oligarch, judge royal, Voivode of Transylvania, Ban of Szörény, Macsó, master of the treasury, master of the horseNicholas (d. 1359), judge royal (1359)Ladislaus (d. before 1364), last memberUgrin II, archbishop of Spalato (1244–1248)Ugrin I (d. 1241), archbishop of Kalocsa, killed in the battle of MohiThe numbering means within the branch.Matthew I (d. 1245/1249), first known member of the branch, master of the treasury (1242–1245)Mark I, ispán of Hont County (1247)Peter II (fl. 1279–1290)Stephen II (fl. 1279–1307)Mark II (fl. 1309)Peter III (fl. 1309–1332; d. before 1350), master of the horse (1314–1317)Ladislaus (fl. 1332)Peter IV (fl. 1332)Dominic (fl. 1332–1359), ancestor of the Dombai familyStephen III (fl. 1323–1329)Unknown daughter, married Roland III RátótUnknown daughter, married Jakab Cseszneky (1) and Lőrinte from the kindred Lőrinte (?)Stephen I, master of the stewards (1275–1276; 1277–1278)Matthew II (d. 1284), palatine, voivode of Transylvania, judge royal, ban of Slavonia, master of the treasuryPeter I (d. 1284), palatine, master of the stewardsMatthew III (1260/65 – 1321), master of the horse (1293–1296), palatine (1296–1297, 1302–1310) and master of the treasury (1310–1311)Matthew IV (d. before 1318), married Gutha NMatthew V, married KunigundaJamesUnknown daughter, wife of DesohCsák (fl. 1291–1300), bearer of the sword (1293)Unknown daughter, wife of Zdislav Sternberg and mother of Stephen the Bohemian, Lord of Trencsén (1321)The numbering means within the branch.Nicholas IMatthew I (fl. 1263)Nicholas II (fl. 1315–1336; d. before 1367), died without male descendantsMatthew II (fl. 1336)Ladislaus (fl. 1336)Catherine (fl. 1336–1367), heir, married Demetrius MálasiNicholas III (fl. 1367), canon of FehérvárMichael (fl. 1367)Anne (fl. 1398), married Francis ApátiElizabeth (fl. 1383), married Klemens, a citizen of Fehérvára possible daughter
