Surname Spak - Meaning and Origin
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Spak: What does the surname Spak mean?
The surname Spak is of Czech or Slovak origin, though its exact etymology is unknown. It could be derived from the name ‘spak’, meaning ‘from the village of Spak’, or be a diminutive of various Slavic given names such as Spachy, Slavka, or Spalek. This surname is more common in states of the United States of America inhabited by the descendants of Czech immigrants, such as Ohio and Nebraska.
Its particular usage might also have resulted from its being a repeat of a given name, as when a father gave the same name as his own to his son, or when repeated during marriages, as husbands and wives took their parents’ surnames.
The popularity of the surname in the Americas is partially due to the immigration of Czechs in the late 19th century, when people from rural parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire looked to settle in North America and found work in the industrial fields of the Former American continent.
If you have ancestors with the surname Spak, there are many resources at your disposal to learn more about your family’s history. You can research local census records, use genealogical websites to trace relatives, or visit museums and archives to uncover long lost family stories. Doing so will help add to the mystery of this age-old, yet still fairly common surname.
Order DNA origin analysisSpak: Where does the name Spak come from?
The last name Spak is most commonly found in Slovakia and surrounding countries, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe. It originated in the Middle Ages when immigrants from Slavic countries settled in the region. The name is derived from the Slovak word ‘spak’, which means ‘gossip’.
The Spak family has a long, distinguished history dating back to the 13th century, when the surname first appeared in Slovakia. Since then it has spread throughout the region, with significant pockets of the family residing in Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and elsewhere in Europe. Today, the surname is still quite common in Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, but has also become dispersed across the world.
Thanks to the extensive database of genealogical records maintained by companies such as Ancestry.com, it is possible to trace the Spak family further back in time. Estimates show that over 40,000 people who share the Spak surname currently reside in Slovakia, with another 10,000 or so living in the Czech Republic. Other significant populations exist in Poland, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
The Spak surname is a testament to Slovakia’s rich and varied history and to the family’s resilient heritage. With origins steeped in the culture and folklore of the region, the Spak family has been making its mark on the world for centuries.
Variations of the surname Spak
The surname Spak has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common of these is Spack, which has multiple spellings like Speck, Spieck, Speckt, and Spieckt. Other lesser-known variants include Spakovsky, Spackman, Spakas, and Spacks.
The spelling variants of Spak and its variants are rarely seen today, as the surname is most commonly found with the spelling of Spack. The origin of the Spak surname is from two separate sources – German and Slavic. The German variation of the surname can trace its roots to the German region of Prussia, and is derived from the German word “speck” meaning fat or bacon. The Slavic variation of the surname originates from the Slavic countries. It is believed to have first been used to refer to a person from a city named Spack, located in the modern-day Czech Republic.
Some of the more unusual spellings of the surname "Spak" can be seen with alternate surnames such as Schpak, Espak, Sprack, Sprackling and Spreck. The surname was also found as Spakow, Stanyslas, Spzak, and Spakowski.
In the United States today, the surname is most commonly found with the spelling of Spack, yet several spelling variations of the surname can still be found in both the US and internationally.
Famous people with the name Spak
- Katherine Spak: Basketball Analyst for ESPN
- Joseph Spak: Writer and Editor for RBC Capital Markets
- John Spak: Former Vice President of Operations at NBCUniversal Media
- Jeff Spak: Former Chief Executive Officer for Model T Technologies
- Kenneth Spak: CFO and Chairman of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
- William Spak: Retired Director of the X-Ray Digitization Project at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Stephen Spak: Corporate Director of Corporate Communications at Thomson Reuters
- Devin Spak: CEO of Illuminated Strategies
- Michael Spak: Former Executive Vice President of Subscription Management Solutions at Lending Tree
- Barry Spak: Former Executive Vice President of Human Resources at The Hershey Company