Novak (in Serbo-Croatian and Slovene), Novák (in Hungarian, Czech and Slovak), Nowak (in German and Polish) is a Slavic name, both used as a given name and surname, derived from the word for "new" (e.g. Polish: nowy, Czech: nový, Serbo-Croatian: novo) meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer", or "stranger" in English. 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. 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, Poland, and Slovenia, 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.
The surname is usually spelled Novák in Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian, Nowak in Polish, Novak (Cyrillic: Новак) in Serbian, 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.
Poland
As of 2009, Nowak (Polish pronunciation: [ˈnɔvak]) is the most common surname in Poland, having surpassed Kowalski. 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.
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.
Novak is the most common surname in Slovenia with more than 11,000 sharing it. 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).
In Croatia, Novak is the sixth most common surname.
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.
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
Božidar Novak (born 1965), Slovenian writer and international crisis communications expert
Brandon Novak skateboarder American skateboarder
David Novak (born 1941), American scholar of Jewish philosophy, law and ethics
David C. Novak, American business executive
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
Joseph D. Novak (born 1932), American educator
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
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
Nick Novak (born 1981), National Football League placekicker
Petr Novák (disambiguation)
Robert Novak (1931–2009), American journalist and conservative political commentator
Slobodan Prosperov Novak (1951–), Croatian historian
Slobodan Novak (born 1924), Croatian writer
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 (1859–1903), Croatian writer
Vladimír Novák (painter) (born 1947), Czech painter
Vladimír Novák (skier) (1904–1986), Czechoslovak Nordic skier
Karolína Nováková (born 1994), football midfielder
Kristýna Nováková (born 1983), Czech film and television actress
Soňa Nováková (born 1975), Czech female beach volleyball player
Šárka Nováková (born 1971), Czech high jumper
Vratislava Nováková, Czechoslovak slalom canoer
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
Dariusz Nowak-Nova (born 1962), Polish 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, 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
Mark Nowak, (born 1964), American poet and writer
Manfred Nowak (born 1950), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture
Martin Nowak, Austrian mathematical biologist
Piotr Nowak (born 1964), Polish footballer and manager
Zenon Nowak (1905–1980), Polish trade union activist and politician
Novak Djokovic (born 1987), Serbian tennis player
Novak Kilibarda (born 1934), Montenegrin politician
Novak Martinović (born 1985), Serbian footballer
Novak Radonić (1826–1890), Serbian painter
Novak Roganović (1932–2008), Serbian footballer
Novak Tomić (1936–2003), Serbian footballer
Novak Novak (1928–1995), Serbian writer and journalist
Starina Novak (1530–1601), Serbian commander
Novak Karaljuk (fl. 1404), Serbian commander
Novak Grebostrek (fl. 1312), Serbian commander
Casey Novak, in Law & Order: SVU
Claire Novak, a character on the television show Supernatural
Dazzle Novak, in the television series Moonbeam City
Holland and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka Seven
James Novak, a character on the television series Scandal
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. Claire Novak is now a hunter in training with Jodie Mills.
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
Vera Louise Gorman-Novak, in the television series Alice
Zig Novak, character on television series Degrassi
