Novak History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Czech
Germany
Ukraine

The name Novak is a nickname surname, formed from the Czech "novy," which means 'new'. The name was generally used for a "newcomer to a particular region" or "newly settled neighbor" or "a newcomer to the village." Ironically it was also used for a maker of new shoes (not for a repairer of shoes). Novak is the most popular Czech name; and Novotny is the third most common. As the name translates as "newman' some people have Anglicized their name accordingly. The feminine form of the name is Nováková.

Early Origins of the Novak family

The surname Novak was first found in Bohemia and Moravia.

Novak Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Novak, Novack, Novac, Nowak, Novacek, Novotny, Novy, Novik and many more.

Early Notables of the Novak family

Notable among the name Novak at this time we found

Starina Novak, (c. 1530-1601) a Serb hajduk (brigand and rebel) who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire...

Novak Ranking

In the United States, the name Novak is the 1,171^st most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1

Novak migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Novak Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jon Novak, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 2
Kuzma Novak, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850-1865 2
Johann Novak, age 24, who arrived on a ship in Baltimore in 1874
Franz Novak, who was on a list of passengers, who arrived in New York in 1882
Adolf Novak, who arrived in New York in 1886
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Novak Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Novak, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1901 2
Adam Novak, aged 0, who immigrated to the United States, in 1902
Agnes Novak, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Kissaros, Hungary, in 1907
Agnes Novak, aged 27, who landed in America from Bremen, Germany, in 1908
Adam Novak, aged 25, who landed in America from Lofalu, Hungary, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Novak (post 1700) +

Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (b. 1933), American actress best known for her performance in the 1958 film Vertigo, awarded two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Michael D. Novak (1915-1978), American basketball player who played in the NBL, BAA, and NBA
Lawrence R. "Larry" Novak (b. 1933), American jazz pianist
Eva Barbara Novak (1898-1988), American film actress
Jane Novak (1896-1990), American silent film actress
Steve Novak (b. 1983), American professional basketball player
Marvin R. Novak, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Charles M. Novak, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1935 3
Cathy Novak, American politician, Mayor of Morro Bay, California, 1998 3
B. G. Novak (b. 1887), American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 38th District, 1915-18 3
... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html