Surname Jancak - Meaning and Origin

Jancak: What does the surname Jancak mean?

The last name Jancak is of Slovak origin. This name is derived from the Old Czech personal name Jan, which means 'God is gracious' and is related to the name John. It is also believed to have derived from the Slovak word 'jancak' or 'slovak', meaning 'Slovak'. The compound surname Jancak, then, would translate as 'son of a Slovak'.

Throughout Central and Eastern Europe, surnames ending in -ak or -ek were generally associated with the area of Slovakia and Hungary. Families with the surname Jancak can trace their roots in this region back many generations. It is often assumed that people with this surname are of Slovak descent.

The Jancak surname has been present in Slovakia and Hungary since at least the 1500s. During this time, the Jancak family was sometimes referenced in documents related to land ownership and military service. It is believed that the family initially came from the region of Nitrava, and later moved to the present region of Zemplin in the east.

The Jancak surname can still be found in Slovakia and Hungary today, but the family has also spread to other countries, including Austria, Croatia, and the United States. Those who bear the Jancak surname typically identify as being Slovak. Though its etymology originates in Slovakia, the Jancak surname carries a deeply rooted sense of family tradition, heralding from all the lands and cultures in which previous generations had made their home.

Jancak: Where does the name Jancak come from?

The last name Jancak is mostly found in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It is believed to have originated in either Slovakia or Poland but is used in several other countries around the region as well. In the Czech Republic, the Jancak surname is relatively common, comprising 0.1 percent of the population. It is slightly less common in Poland, accounting for 0.09 percent of the total population. The surname is largely absent in major western European countries such as Germany, France, and the UK, though a small number of people with this surname have immigrated from Eastern Europe to other parts of the continent.

In the United States, the Jancak surname is moderately common. It’s believed to have been brought by immigrants from Eastern Europe and Austria-Hungary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the 2000 US Census, around 0.006 percent of the American population was recorded as having this surname. It is most heavily concentrated in the Midwest, with Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri having the highest concentrations. The Jancak surname has also spread further around the globe over the last century due to modern migration patterns.

Overall, the Jancak surname is relatively common in Central and Eastern Europe while being of moderate rarity in the United States. However, its presence is growing around the globe, and it is likely that in the coming century there may be greater concentrations of the surname found in global locations.

Variations of the surname Jancak

The surname Jancak is of mainly Slovak origin, derived from the personal name Ján, which is the Slovak version of the name John. The surname can also be found across other parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

Variations of the surname Jancak can include Jaknik, Jaknyk, Jank, Janki, Janko, Janková, Jankuš, Jankušová, Ján, Jánoš, Jančák, Janček, Jančik, Jančuška, Jančár, Jáník, Jankovic, Jankovicova, Jinal, Jinencek, Jlinčák, Jurečka, Jánoščík, Jurečka, Janýž, Juracák and Jurčák.

Surnames of the same origin include Jancan, Johnas, Jonson, Jancova, Joncas, Johnson, Janick, Jancso, Johnstone, Janco, Janca, Jancin, Johns and Jonckers.

In the United States, the surname has been Americanized to "Yencak", and Polish spellings of Jancak include Janeczek, Janicki, Jancew, Janacek and Janicot.

Famous people with the name Jancak

• Dan Jancak: Professional football (soccer) player who currently plays in the Czech league for FK Teplice.
• Jakub Jancak: Pole vaulter, bronze medalist at the 2019 European Indoor Championships.
• Pavol Jancak: Former professional tennis player. Competed at the 1988 Olympics.
• Katarína Jancaková: Slovakian athlete specializing in the high jump.
• Jana (Hrušková) Jancaková: Retired shot putter and discus thrower from Czechoslovakia.
• Andrej Jancak: Slovakaire professional ice hockey player who plays for HC Moeller in the Slovak Extraliga.
• Hezi Jancak: Israeli theater and screen actor.
• Attila Jancak: Hungarian handball player who plays for Pick Szeged in the Nemzeti Bajnság I.
• Patrik Jancak: Slovak handball player who plays for WHC Admiral in the Slovak Extraliga.
• Bard Jancak: Croatian snowboarder who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Other surnames

Janca