Surname Jancek - Meaning and Origin
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Jancek: What does the surname Jancek mean?
The last name Jancek is of Czech origin, and it was generally given to a person from the region of Vysocina or the town of Jankov. The name likely originated from the word jen, which means "just" or "only" in Czech. Jancek is an occupational surname, and it was originally associated with a carter or someone who drove a wagon; it could also be given to one who owned a chalupa, a type of small cottage in rural Bohemia.
As an occupational surname, the name Jancek could also refer to someone involved in "medicinal herb cultivation," or someone with a knack for healing plants. In modern days, however, this name is more typically given to boys who are born during the month of January.
The last name Jancek is not actually very common. As of 2020, it was ranked roughly 96,053 among other last names in the Czech Republic. So, if one were to come across someone in the twenty-first century with the last name Jancek, then they could be pretty sure that this person is either from the Czech Republic, of Czech ancestry, or both.
Order DNA origin analysisJancek: Where does the name Jancek come from?
The last name Jancek is most commonly found in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other Eastern European countries. In the Czech Republic specifically, it is one of the more common last names, ranking in the top 50. It is also found in fairly large numbers in many other countries of Central Europe, such as Poland, Germany, and Austria.
In the United States, it is far less common. Records show that some immigrants named Jancek arrived in the US in the late 19th century, but the number of people bearing the name has not increased dramatically since then. Since 2000, only a few thousand people with this surname are listed in the US census records. It is mostly concentrated in Nevada, California, and Florida.
The name Jancek can also be found in many other countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. In Australia and Canada, it is one of the more popular Eastern European names, appearing in the census records with steadily increasing frequency since the mid-20th century.
Overall, the name Jancek is most common in Europe, with smaller communities present in other parts of the world, particularly in North America.
Variations of the surname Jancek
The surname Jancek can have many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Common variant spellings of the name are pronounced ‘yahn-check’ or ‘yahn-tsayk’. Variations of the surname Jancek may include Yancak, Yanczak, Yanczek, Jancak, Janček, Janczak, Janczek, Jenček, Jensak, and Yantzak, among other possible forms.
The surname Jancek has roots in numerous different countries including Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. According to surname researchers, Jancek derived from Yancak, which is an old Slavic diminutive naming form. The original form of Jancek name may have stemmed from the Polish Yanczak or the Czech Yantsak. Other variations include Janko, Janic, Jancovic, Jankovic, Jancso, Jancos, and Janckiewitz. In Czech, the name is spelled ‘Yantsak’ which, when translated to English, means the same as ‘Jancek’.
The name can also take on various other spellings in different languages or countries. In Polish, the surname has the spelling 'Janczak' and in Slovenian 'Janzek'. In German and Hungarian, 'Jancsek' and 'Janszak' are common forms of the name. In the United States, many people with the surname Jancek spell their name in an anglicized version, 'Yantsak'.
In addition, surnames that are of similar derivation or spelling include Janicak, Jancak, Janco, Jancik, Jennicak, Jennick, Janciak, and Jenczak. All these surnames are often used interchangeably with Jancek.
Famous people with the name Jancek
- Leoš Janáček (1854–1928): Czech composer, musical theorist and teacher; recognized for his efforts to develop a distinct national style of music.
- Adriana Jančeková (1911–2000): Czech operatic mezzo-soprano and song pedagogue.
- Josef Janček (b. 1950): Czech poet and author.
- František Janček (b. 1990): Czech football midfielder who plays for Bohemians 1905.
- Ivan Jancek (1917–2007): Slovak painter, print maker, and photographer.
- Tomáš Jancek (b. 1976): Czech photographer and multimedia artist.
- Libor Jancek (b. 1990): Czech football goalkeeper who plays for FK Jablonec.
- Adam Jancek (b. 1985): Czech sprint canoer who participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- Jiří Jancek (b. 1953): Czech astronomer, director of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
- Július Jancek (1934–2018): Slovak politician, former Prime Minister of Slovakia.