THE ORIGIN OF CZECH SURNAMES
There are more than 40,000 variations of Czech surnames. Considering that
the Czech Republic has over 10 million inhabitants, we see that some surnames
are more or less common, but also, some are rare and connected only with few families.
a) A Newcomer to a Village
The most common family name in Bohemia and Moravia is the surname NOVAK (if
translated into English, it could sound NEWMAN). There is more than 1 per
cent of our population (100 Thousands people) who have this family name. It
was given by the fact, that the novelty was the first and most important
sign of a newcomer who came to the closed community of old village
inhabitants. The same ground have similar Czech surnames NOVOTNY, and less
common NOVY or NOVACEK (dimin. form of NOVY or NOVAK). He who came from a
wander was called PROCHAZKA (from verb to walk).
b) Social Status of the Name Bearer
The second expressive distinguishing feature was the connection to
land-owners. Besides the serfs (subdued people), there were free,
independent yeomen or freeholders among the rural population. Thus he was
given a surname SVOBODA (a free man) or DVORAK (a farmer having his free
farm - DVUR = court, yard). The farmer who had a big piece of a land was
called SEDLAK, a smaller one SEDLACEK, in Moravia the equivalent was LANIK.
Who, according to his social status owned only a small house without
scarcely any land, was called CHALUPA, CHALUPNIK, CHALOUPKA (the same as
cottager) or ZAHRADNIK (from zahrada - a garden).
c) Personal Features of an Individuum
The personal features contributed to the surnames becoming. There was an
overwhelming fair-haired (xanthochroi) population in our country in the
past and a man with dark hair or face was an exception. Thus a surname
CERNY (and equivalent CERNIK ) or in German parts SCHWARZ (in the Czech
script SVARC) came into existence. Similar is the origin of surnames
describing the temperamental and physical features of the bearer: VESELY
(a cheerful man), KYSELY (sauer or bitter), KYSELA KUCERA (a curly)
RUZICKA (a small rose, a handful, nice man). Other examples are HLAVA,
HLAVICA = a head, HUBA - a mouth, BRADA - a chin , NOZKA - a foot, esp. a
small one, NOHA - a big foot etc.
d) First Biblical and Slavic Names
Most of surnames are derived from Christian first names, with many
variations, derivates, formed also by plenty of suffixes. The most common
surnames, derived form a first name are BENES(Benedict) or MAREK (Marcus).
The derivates are for instance BENISEK, BENAK, BENDA, BENIK, MARECEK,
MARKUS, MARKOVIC, MARHOUL, MARES, MARSALEK (could be derived also from
marshall), MARSIK, MARTISEK. Very common are also family names URBAN,
BARTOS (Bartholomew), HAVEL (Gallus), JANAK, JANECEK, JANOUSEK, JANDA
(John), KASPAR (Caspar), KLIMA (Clemens), MACH or MACHACEK, MARTINEK
(Martin), PESEK, PETRAK (Peter), VAVRA (Vavrinec- Lawrence), BLAZEK, SIMEK
(Simon), STEPANEK (Stephan), TOMAS or TOMASEK and VACEK (Venceslaus). Not
only biblic names were used, but also first names of the slavic origin, for
instance JAROS (from Jaromir) , SOBEK (from Sobeslav), STICH (from Stibor).
The commonly used suffixes were:
* - a: HAVELA, BARTA, KUBA (Ja-kub), TOMSA (Tom-as)
* - s: TOMS (Tom-as), KUBES (Ja-kub)
* - s: (in fact -s with hook, pronounced -sh-) PES (Pe-tr), BURES
(Bur-ian), BARTOS (Bart-olomej), VAVRUS or VAVROUS (Vavr-inec)
* - c: (pronounced as -z- in German words like Ziel) KUBEC, MACA
(Ma-tej)
* - k, ek: (pronounced -kh, -eck) MARTINEK, BROZEK, LACEK
* -ha: BLAHA (Blazej), JANDA (Jan)
* - ta: KUBATA, MACHATA, VASATA
* - n: ZIKAN (Zich- Zacharias)
* - u: JANU, MACHU (discribing rather the origin like in Russian
ALEXANDROVIC or in anglo-saxon names - SON)
e) Surnames Derived from Localities, Regions, Foreign Countries
There is another sort of Czech surnames, derived from local names. They are
mostly formed by a suffix - ky, or -sky. Here are some examples: PRAZSKY
from Praha, MOHELNICKY from Mohelnice, KOLINSKY from Kolin, PALACKY from
Palacov or BILOVSKY from Bilov or Bilovec. The surnames derived from
villages or towns, may be also in second grammar case (genitive): SKOUNIC,
or SKAUNITZ, KLECAN (i.e. from Klecany), or may describe simply an
inhabitant from a town: PRAZAN, PRAZAK (inhabitant of Prague). Here can be
included the surnames, indicating a citizen from foreign country or region:
NEMEC (came from Germany), SLEZAK (from Silesia), MORAVEC (from Moravia) or
HANAK (a Moravian fertile region around Olomouc), SLOVAK (from the south of
Moravia or from Slovakia).
f) Trade and Occupation
Another big group of sournames is formed by those, derived from the names
of occupation, or of social status (see above as well). Thus there is a
surname of KOVAR (smith), KOLAR (cart-wright), KADLEC (weaver), RYBAR
(fisherman), but also in German form FISCHER or FISER, MLYNAR or in German
MUELLER resp. MILER or TESAR (carpenter). Adding a prefix or suffix or its
diminutive form has already certain expressive meanings: NEKOVAR (a smith
who is better to keep out of the way), TESARIK (a carpenter, rather small
by the skill or height).
The social/class status has reflected in the family names MESTAN
(=bourgher), SEDLAK or LANIK (a farmer), CTVRTNIK (a farmer who owned a
quarter of a "lan"), CHALUPNIK (cottager), SVOBODNIK (a freeman), HRABE
(count), BISKUP (bishop), or STAROSTA ( a mayor), RYCHTAR ( judge or
sherif), SAFAR (administrator of a landlord´s yard). There is a plenty of
surnames, based on the military rank and file: VOJAK, VOJACEK - soldier,
but there is also a Czech name SOLDAN or SOLDAT as well, DRAGOUN, KAPRALEK
(caporal), JENERAL (general).
The artisans received the nicknames, from which the surnames developed
later , also according to their tools. Thus we can find a tailor named
JEHLICKA (= a needle), or a baker ROHLICEK (a roll), or a butcher JITRNICKA
(something like a white pudding). The examples of other surnames are for
instance KLADIVO (hammer), PALICKA (pounder), KNEDLIK (dumpling), MOUCKA
(flour), BUCHTA (cake) etc.
g) Nature (Animals and Plants)
The nature provided a lot of inspiration for the creation of the family
names. A large group of surnames developed from the names of various
animals, that either resembled the physical or a character feature of a man:
MYSKA (mouse), ZABA (frog), JELINEK (stag), JEZEK (hedgehog), VRABEC
(sparrow), VRANA (crow), or BROUCEK (a dimin. form of a beetle), plants -
FIALA (viola), CHMELA (hops), ZITO (rye), REPA (beet), MAKOVICKA
(poppyhead), JAHODA (strawberry), SMRCKA (spruce), JEDLICKA (fir), or
DOUBEK (oak).
h) Surnames describing the activity or status
Very interesting and unusual group of surnames is that formed from present
tense or past participle of verbs or even derived from full sentences. The
example of perfectum: HRABAL (raked) , KOUPIL, SOUKUP is a surname
developed form the trade of its bearer - a dealer, buyer, NAVRATIL
(returned) or VRZALA (chirked, scraped). Sometimes if a thing was bought
too expensively, the buyer was called DRAHOKOUPIL. Similar names
(nicknames or even jeers) are PRECECHTEL (And-he-wanted-it-after-all),
STOJESPAL (He-slept-standing), ZLAMALJELITO (He-broke-the-black-pudding).
SNEDLDITETIKASI (yes, this surname really exists:
He-ate-the-squash-to-the-child) or even NASRALVHRNEC (please do not ask me to
translate it).
i) Foreign Surnames
Czech surnames also include the surnames of foreign origin. They can be
found everywhere, where two Bohemian nations have lived peacefully together
for ages. A numerous German surname in our countries is the surname MUELLER
or MILLER. Czech people adopted German names by mixed intermarriages or
when settled in German speaking region. These are mainly the surnames,
describing their origin (PRAGER, POLITZER) or simply BOEHM (Czech). Some
German names appeared in a prevailing Czech milieu with a German
administrations, clergy or landlords. Former NOVAK was simply translated to
NEUMANN and later again Czechinized to NAJMAN. SEDLAK thus became BAUER and
later BAJER, KOVAR was changed to SCHMIED and later to SMID. Besides the
German influence also another nationalities contributed to the surname
creation in Bohemia and Moravia. VLACH (Italian) became later a synonym
for any mason. Original Italian names are preserved in Czech artist
families CHITTUSI and STRETTI. We can find a few French family names as LE
BREUX, ROHAN, BUTEAU. Their ancestors came here mostly after the French
Revolution or as soldiers with the Napoleonic Army in the beginning of the
19th century. Common are Polish and some Hungarian names. Difference
between Czech and Slovak names is not notable in all cases.
THE TWENTY MOST COMMON CZECH SURNAMES
Surname = Explanation of the Surname
NOVAK = from the Adj. new. A newly settled neighbor, a newcomer, a newman
NOVOTNY = the same explanation as NOVAK
SVOBODA = a freeman, freeowner, yeoman
DVORAK = a man from a yard, same meaning as SVOBODA, more common in Moravia
CERNY = a dark hair man, a dark skin man
VESELY = Adv. cheerish, cheerful
PROCHAZKA = who came back from the Wander
POKORNY = from Adj. a humble, tame
KUCERA = Adj. curly
JELINEK = a stag, deer
HAJEK = bush, forest
RUZICKA = a little rose
ZEMAN = esquire, a member of lowest nobility with a coat of arms
FIALA = viola instrument
KRAL = from the noun king
BENES = from a first name Benedikt (Benedict)
MAREK = from a first name Markus
CERMAK = a name of the bird (red robin)
HORAK = a man from the hills, a highlander
KRATOCHVIL = an amusing man
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