Polak Family History
Polak Name Meaning
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 Upper Sorbian polo ‘field’ (compare 2 above). In some cases also an ethnic name for a Pole (compare 1 above) from Lower Sorbian Pólak Upper Sorbian Polak. Possibly also an Americanized form of Croatian Serbian Slovenian and Slovak Poljak . Compare Polack and Pollak .
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022