Polak Family History

Polish and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Czech Slovak and Hungarian (Polák Slovak also Poľák): ethnic name for someone from Poland (Polish Polak Slovak archaic and Czech Polák). In the case of the Ashkenazic name, the reference is to a Jew from Poland. This surname is also found in Germany, where it is also of Sorbian origin (see 3 below) and in the Netherlands.

Compare Poliak, Poljak, and Polyak. Slovenian and Croatian: topographic name for someone who lived in open country derived from polje ‘field’ or a habitational name for someone from any of numerous places called Polje, named with this word.

It may also be e.g. an occupational name for a field guard (see Poljak). Sorbian (also Pólak): topographic name derived from Lower Sorbian pólo and Upper Sorbian polo ‘field’ (compare 2 above).

In some cases, it is also an ethnic name for a Pole (compare 1 above) from Lower Sorbian Pólak and Upper Sorbian Polak. Possibly also an Americanized form of Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, and Slovak Poljak.

Compare Polack and Pollak.