105+ Czech Last Names & Their Interesting Meanings
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Like many other cultures, family names in the Czech Republic carry a ton of meaning and family tradition, some more literal than others. Czech women traditionally take their husband’s last name after marriage, but given the gendered nature of the Czech language, the ending of the name will change depending on whether it belongs to a woman or a man. Per Family Education, if the last name is a male adjective or noun, the women’s version will change its spelling to match the feminine version of the adjective. Often, the ending is changed for the women’s name by adding “-ova” if the husband’s Czech last name translates to a noun. It sounds complicated, but once you have a firm understanding of the Czech language and the name’s actual meaning and origin, it adds up. Most Czech last names originate from the Czech language as well as German (explaining why some German surnames sound similar) and Slovak, given the countries’ proximity to each other and shared history.
Read on to learn more about some of the most popular Czech last names, where they come from, and what they mean.
Most Popular Czech Last Names
1. Adamcik
Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Adam.
2. Ales
Meaning: from a short form of the personal names Alexis, Albert, Albrecht, or Alexandr.
3. Andel
Meaning: angel.
4. Andrasko
Meaning: a pet form of Andrasek, a variant of Ondrášek.
5. Artim
Meaning: unexplained.
6. Baar
Meaning: from a short form of the personal name Bartolomaeus.
7. Babinec
Meaning: nickname meaning “coward.”
8. Bakalar
Meaning: from medieval Latin baccalarius, meaning “school teacher.”
9. Baloun
Meaning: variant of Valon, ethnic name for a Walloon.
10. Balusek
Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Balus, a reduced form of Baltazar.
11. Belinsky
Meaning: habitational name from a place called Bělín.
12. Betlach
Meaning: occupational name for a weaver or seller of bedsheets.
13. Bonta
Meaning: pet form of the personal names Bonifác or Bonaventura.
14. Brabec
Meaning: nickname from brabec, meaning “sparrow.”
15. Capek
Meaning: a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a stork.
16. Cejka
Meaning: nickname from čejka, meaning “lapwing.”
17. Cerny
Meaning: “black,” hence a nickname for a black-haired person.
18. Cerveny
Meaning: from červený, meaning “red” or “ruddy,” hence a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
19. Chaloupka
Meaning: from a diminutive of chalupa, meaning “peasant’s cottage.”
20. Cibulka
Meaning: from cibule, meaning “onion” — a nickname for someone with a head thought to resemble an onion or an occupational name for an onion seller.
21. Darilek
Meaning: nickname for a prosperous individual.
22. Dobransky
Meaning: habitational name from a place called Dobřany.
23. Dolezal
Meaning: nickname for a lazy man.
24. Dobry
Meaning: good or honest.
25. Dvoracek
Meaning: from a diminutive of Dvořák.
26. Dvornik
Meaning: a rich farmer, or someone who owns an estate or manor.
27. Dyk
Meaning: a diminutive from the first name Benedikt.
28. Ermis
Meaning: a reduced form of the personal name Jeremiáš.
29. Fait
Meaning: from the German veit, after St. Veit — the patron saint against fire.
30. Fojtik
Meaning: a word for a bailiff or other administrator.
31. Fousek
Meaning: nickname from fousek, meaning “mustache.”
32. Gaba
Meaning: a version of the name “Gabriel.”
33. Galuska
Meaning: variant of haluška, meaning “pasta.”
34. Gavenda
Meaning: nickname for a chatterbox; from gavenda, meaning “talkative.”
35. Hajny
Meaning: a word for a gamekeeper.
36. Hanzlik
Meaning: pet form of personal name Hanzel.
37. Havelka
Meaning: pet form of the personal name Havel.
38. Hlavak
Meaning: from the word for “head,” often attributed to someone really smart or with a large head.
39. Holec
Meaning: nickname for a beardless young man.
40. Holik
Meaning: nickname for the word holý meaning bare or “clean shaven.”
41. Hollas
Meaning: someone who lives near a field of holly.
42. Holoubek
Meaning: “little pigeon.”
43. Holub
Meaning: “dove” or mild-mannered man.
44. Holy
Meaning: an evergreen shrub.
45. Homola
Meaning: cone or nickname for someone with a pointed or cone-shaped head.
46. Homolka
Meaning: a cone-shaped lump of crease cheese or a nickname for some who is soft spoken.
47. Hora
Meaning: mountain, hill, or forest.
48. Janousek
Meaning: from the first name John.
49. Kalal
Meaning: a woodcutter, from the Moravian word meaning “to cut.”
50. Kotek
Meaning: kitten or tomcat.
51. Magyar
Meaning: pearl.
52. Malecek
Meaning: small.
53. Maruska
Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Maruše.
54. Nerad
Meaning: a picky, pestering person.
55. Novacek
Meaning: a diminutive of Novak.
56. Olejnik
Meaning: someone who sells cooking oil.
57. Onderko
Meaning: a derivative of the personal name Ondřej.
58. Opalka
Meaning: occupational name for a basket maker; from opálka, meaning “woven basket.”
59. Pacek
Meaning: a pet form of the Old Czech personal name Pačej.
60. Palecek
Meaning: someone who is small or missing a thumb.
61. Slezak
Meaning: someone from Slevasia.
62. Straka
Meaning: someone who steals.
63. Trinka
Meaning: thorn.
More Czech Last Names
- Beran
Meaning: stubborn or ram.
- Cech
Meaning: newcomer.
- Cervenka
Meaning: “red in the face.”
- Chalupa
Meaning: cottage.
- Chvata
Meaning: to hurry.
- Cizek
Meaning: siskin; type of bird.
- Fiala
Meaning: violet or flower.
- Hajek
Meaning: thicket.
- Hlavacek
Meaning: head.
- Holub
Meaning: pigeon.
- Horacek
Meaning: mountain.
- Hruby
Meaning: coarse or crude.
- Jelen
Meaning: stag.
- Jezek
Meaning: hedgehog.
- Kalas
Meaning: strife.
- Kovarik
Meaning: smith.
- Kolář
Meaning: wheelwright.
- Kratochvil
Meaning: pastime.
- Kraus
Meaning: curly.
- Krejci
Meaning: tailor.
- Kysely
Meaning: sour.
- Matejka
Meaning: derives from the name Matej.
- Musil
Meaning: must.
- Navratil
Meaning: to return.
- Nemec
Meaning: mute or foreigner.
- Nosek
Meaning: little nose.
- Skala
Meaning: “strong as a rock.”
- Slavik
Meaning: nightingale.
- Stepanek
Meaning: derives from the name Stephen.
- Strnad
Meaning: bunting.
- Tichý
Meaning: calm.
- Zelenka
Meaning: green.
Even More Czech Last Names
- Bartos
Meaning: son of Talmay.
- Bosko
Meaning: barefoot.
- Hornik
Meaning: miner.
- Kaluza
Meaning: puddle.
- Klement
Meaning: merciful or gentle.
- Kostelecky
Meaning: church.
- Král
Meaning: king.
- Kriz
Meaning: from the cross.
- Reznik
Meaning: butcher.
- Ryba
Meaning: fish or a fisherman.
- Simon
Meaning: listen.
- Skalicky
Meaning: rock.
- Slovak
Meaning: from Slovakia.
- Zima
Meaning: winter or a nickname for someone with a cold personality.
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