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 footballerArne Novák (1880–1939), Czech literary historian and criticB. J. Novak (born 1979), American writer, comedian and actor known for The OfficeBožidar Novak (born 1965), Slovenian writer and international crisis communications expertBrandon Novak skateboarder American skateboarderDavid Novak (born 1941), American scholar of Jewish philosophy, law and ethicsDavid C. Novak, American business executiveDragutin Novak (1892–1978), Croatian aviatorDžoni 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 defencemanFranz Novak (1913–1983), Austrian SS-HauptsturmführerGabi Novak (born 1936), Croatian pop singerGrga Novak (1888–1978), Croatian historian, archaeologist and geographerGrigory Novak (1919–1980), Soviet Olympic weightlifter, Ukrainian SSRHarry Novak, American producer of exploitation filmsIlona Novák (born 1925), Hungarian swimmer and Olympic championJan Novák (composer) (1921–1984), Czech composerJan Novák (ice hockey) (born 1979), Czech professional ice hockey playerJán Novák (footballer), Slovak footballerJane Novak (1896–1990), actress in silent filmsJim 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 (1933-2017), 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 (disambiguation)Robert Novak (1931–2009), American journalist and conservative political commentatorSlobodan Prosperov Novak (1951–), Croatian historianSlobodan Novak (born 1924), Croatian writerSteve 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 writerVladimír Novák (painter) (born 1947), Czech painterVladimír Novák (skier) (1904–1986), Czechoslovak Nordic skierKarolína Nováková (born 1994), football midfielderKristýna Nováková (born 1983), Czech film and television actressSoňa Nováková (born 1975), Czech female beach volleyball playerŠárka Nováková (born 1971), Czech high jumperVratislava Nováková, Czechoslovak slalom canoerAmram Nowak, Academy Award–nominated director of Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis SingerAndrzej Nowak (disambiguation), several persons of that nameAnton Nowak (1865–1932), Austrian artistDariusz 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 World War II heroJózef Nowak, Polish actorJulian 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 politicianNovak Djokovic (born 1987), Serbian tennis playerNovak Kilibarda (born 1934), Montenegrin politicianNovak Martinović (born 1985), Serbian footballerNovak Radonić (1826–1890), Serbian painterNovak Roganović (1932–2008), Serbian footballerNovak Tomić (1936–2003), Serbian footballerNovak Novak (1928–1995), Serbian writer and journalistStarina Novak (1530–1601), Serbian commanderNovak Karaljuk (fl. 1404), Serbian commanderNovak Grebostrek (fl. 1312), Serbian commanderCasey Novak, in Law & Order: SVUClaire Novak, a character on the television show SupernaturalDazzle Novak, in the television series Moonbeam CityHolland and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka SevenJames Novak, a character on the television series ScandalJimmy 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. NovakKlara Novak, a character on The Shop Around the Corner, played by Margaret SullavanLindsey Novak, recurring character in the Stargate Atlantis television seriesPat Novak, played by Jack Webb in the old-time radio program Pat Novak for HirePat Novak, in The Novak Element in the movie RobocopTom Nowak, in the movie Test pilota PirxaTommy Nowak, in the movie Pink Cadillac, played by Clint EastwoodVera Louise Gorman-Novak, in the television series AliceZig Novak, character on television series Degrassi