History of your Surname
Get access to Kozak family records.Start a free trial

Kozak Family History

Kozak Name Meaning

Ukrainian Rusyn and Polish; Czech Slovak and Hungarian (Kozák): ethnic name for a Cossack a member of a Slavic people descended from a group of runaway serfs who set up a semi-independent military republic in Ukraine in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Cossacks became noted for their military prowess. The name Cossack is of Turkic origin (from quzzaq ‘adventurer guerilla’; compare Turkish Kazak ) but most European languages borrowed it from East Slavic. Compare Kosack Kosak 5 and Kozack . Polish; Czech (Kozák): occupational name for a goatherd from a derivative of Koza ‘nanny goat’. The homonymous Sorbian cognates Kózak and Kozak (from Lower Sorbian kóza Upper Sorbian koza) are apparently found in Germanized and Americanized forms only (see Kosack and Kosak ). Slovak and Czech (Kozák): possibly also from kozák a kind of mushroom from the genus Leccinum. Slovenian Croatian and Serbian: nickname or occupational name from a derivative of koza ‘nanny goat’ or perhaps in some cases a nickname from kozak ‘light horseman of the Cossack military unit’ (compare 1 above and 5 below). Turkish: ornamental name from kozak ‘cone’ or from a homonymous word meaning ‘shady place’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from Yiddish kozak ‘warrior Cossack’ (a loanword from Ukrainian or a cognate in some other Slavic language; see 1 above). Compare Kazak Kosak 5 and Kozack .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Koza, Kozar, Kozik, Bosak, Kozel, Kosa, Kosik, Kosek, Kobak, Kosak

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Kozak family from?

You can see how Kozak families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kozak family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Kozak families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 32 Kozak families living in Saskatchewan. This was about 43% of all the recorded Kozak's in Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest population of Kozak families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kozak surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Kozak ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Kozak. 60% of Kozak men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Kozak | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    60%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Miner
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kozak family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Kozak. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kozak census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kozak

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Kozak. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kozak immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Kozak. For the veterans among your Kozak ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kozak military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kozak family history

Discover More

What is the average Kozak lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Kozak life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Kozak in 1940 was 61, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kozak

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kozak family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Kozak last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial