Radek History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Radek

What does the name Radek mean?

The surname Radek is a local surname; it is derived from the place name Radeck, a castle in Oppel, in Silesia. While it is generally regarded that the name was from this area, the first record of the name was in Switzerland. The derivation from the place name Radeck makes this a habitation surname.

Alternatively, the name could have derived from the Middle Ages, Germanic personal name Radolf (Radloff) which dates back to Romania (1250-1300) where variants like Radeke (Radolf) was found in Stralsund in 1290. 1

In Poland, the name was a habitational name for someone from Redecz (formerly Radecz) in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Radcze in Lublin Voivodeship, or Recz (formerly Radecz) in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Early Origins of the Radek family

The surname Radek was first found in Switzerland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. Chronicles first mention Heinrich von Radekke of Upper-Austria in 1256, and Hans Radecker of Eger in Bohemia around 1395.

Early History of the Radek family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Radek research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1233, 1733, 1776, 1791, 1814 and 1903 are included under the topic Early Radek History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Radek Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Radecke, Radek, Radeke, Radeck, Radecki, Radacke, Radake, Radacker, Radecker and many more.

Early Notables of the Radek family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Radek Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Radek family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Friedricka Radeke, who immigrated to Texas in 1847. J. Radke settled in Texas in 1853 while Gottlieb Radke sailed to Boston with his family in 1898.

Contemporary Notables of the name Radek (post 1700) +

Karl Radek (1885-1939), born in Lemberg (now L'vov, Ukraine), and played a prominent role as a journalist in the Russian revolution
Radek Mach (b. 1984), Czech male volleyball player
Radek Procházka (b. 1978), Czech former professional ice hockey player
Radek Cerny (b. 1974), Czech former footballer who played as a goalkeeper
Radek Dvorak (b. 1977), Czech NHL ice hockey player
Radek Martinek (b. 1976), defenseman for the New York Islanders from Havlicko, Czechoslovakia

Sources +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)