Surname Janik - Meaning and Origin

Janik: What does the surname Janik mean?

Janik is a surname of Slavic origin. The name can be traced back to the root "yen" which means "God" or "lord." Over time, the ending -ik is thought to have been added on to give the name a patronymic ending. The name has been established in many Slavic countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

In Poland, the name is often associated with the city of Janikowo which was likely named after an early bearer of the surname. In some cases, Janik may also be an anglicised form of a number of other surnames such as Yenko, Yakubik, and Yanitsky.

The surname Janik is still found throughout Europe, particularly in countries where Slavic languages are still spoken. It is especially common in Slovakia, where it is ranked as the 92nd most common surname, and in the Czech Republic, where it is among the top 100 most common surnames. The surname continues to be carried by descendants of the original bearers of the name.

Janik: Where does the name Janik come from?

The last name Janik is quite common today and can be found throughout Europe, the Americas, Australia, and parts of New Zealand. The majority of Janiks can be found in Poland where the name originated centuries ago. In fact, Janik is one of the most popular surnames in Poland and currently ranks as one of the top 50 surnames in the country. In addition to Poland, Janik is also popular in Slovakia, Russia, and Germany, among other places.

In the United States, Janik is the 5,274th most common surname overall, although it is disproportionately more popular among those of Polish descent. According to the 2019 US Census, Janik was the 33rd most popular surname among those reporting Polish ancestry and the 19th most popular in the state of Illinois, with the majority of Janik families living in the Chicago area.

Australia also has a considerable population of Janiks, particularly within the larger cities of Melbourne and Sydney. The Janik name is the 2,394th most commonly found surname in the country and the majority of Janik families originated from eastern Europe, including Poland.

In other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and parts of Latin America, the last name Janik is less common but can still be found in the records.

Variations of the surname Janik

The Janik surname has a number of variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. Common variants of the name include Johannik, Johanik, Janick, Janicke, Jannik, Jannick, Jannicke, Jahnik, Jahnik, and Jahnick. The name is also spelled without the “h” in some cases, as Janik, Janic, and Janick.

The Janik surname is also found in Polish records, where it is spelled Janik, Janicz, and Janicki. It can also be found in Czech records as Janik or Janick. Variants with an “z” or “c” at the end, such as Janicz or Janicki, are additional variants of the Janik surname.

In countries where the spelling of the name is often altered by the scribe transcribing the name, variants of the Janik surname include Janke, Janchke, Jahnke, Jahck, Jahncke, Janek, Janicka, Janicka, Jinak, and Jinic. These further differentiate the Janik surname by region.

A number of surnames of similar origin, possibly with the same root, include Janzic, Jehnke, Jehnich, and Johann. In some non-Slavic countries, the surname has taken on many variations, some of which include Uranik, Yanik, Yennik, Yanick, and Yaminik. The Janik surname has a wide range of variants and spellings, and a number of similar surnames, which can make researching the name rather challenging.

Famous people with the name Janik

• Mark Janik: music producer, songwriter, composer and engineer
• Irena Janik: psychologist, assistant professor, and co-founder of the research and consulting group NeuroPsy Life
• Karol Janik: biologist, professor at the University of Pomerania
• Stefania Janik: professional ice hockey player
• Greg Janik: professional American football player
• Marek Janik: Polish poet, essayist, journalist, and translator
• Jessica Janik: award-winning American television writer, and playwright
• Philippe Janik: French football player
• Bethany Janik: American education professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Sibylle Janik: Austrian Paralympic alpine skier
• Mathias Janik: German celebrity chef and restaurateur

Other surnames

JanicekJanickJanickaJanickeJänickeJanickiJaniczekJaniecJanietzJanigJanigkJanikeJänikeJaningJaningsJanisJanischJänischJanissenJanißenJaniszJaniszewskiJanitschekJanitschkaJanitschkeJanitzkyJanizki