Surname Kopecky - Meaning and Origin
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Kopecky: What does the surname Kopecky mean?
The surname Kopecky is of Czech and Slovak origin derived from the noun, “kopec,” meaning a hillock. It is thought to have been used as a nickname for someone who lived on a hill, or to have denoted a person with exceptional strength, as the word “kopec” can also mean a lump or a small hill. The name is recorded in the New World as early as 1641 in Connecticut; immigrants bearing the name Kopecky arrived in the United States in the 19th century from Eastern Europe.
People bearing the last name Kopecky can trace their roots to the region in Eastern Europe formerly known as Czechoslovakia, which is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This region is rich in cultural identity, and the presence of the surname relates to this culture and history.
The usage of the name Kopecky in the United States is primarily found in states with historically high Czech populations, such as Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Furthermore, a search of the surname on the interet reveals that it is primarily used by those who are of a Czech or Slovak descent.
The name Kopecky is not found in in the top 1,000 most common surnames in the US; however, it is still prominent throughout the community. It is a recognised surname with Czech and Slovak roots, and has carried an important meaning for families for generations.
Order DNA origin analysisKopecky: Where does the name Kopecky come from?
The last name Kopecky is a well-known surname in Central and Eastern Europe. It is primarily associated with Slovakia and the Czech Republic, though it can also be found in Poland, Croatia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The name is most probably of Slavic origin, and it likely refers to someone who is a coin merchant or money-handler.
The Kopecky family is still quite widespread in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Slovakia, records show that the 8th-most common surname in the country belonged to Kopecky’s in 2015, while in the Czech Republic, the latest statistics from 2020 placed Kopecky as the 19th-most common last name in the nation.
The Kopecky name does not end in Central and Eastern European countries, however. In the United States, the Kopecky family is relatively widely spread out. The US Census Bureau recorded a Kopecky as the 2,392nd most common name in the United States in 2019, with some 8,658 people registered as having the surname.
In Canada, records also suggest that the Kopecky are quite well represented also. Statistics Canada reported the name to be the 2,421st most common in the country back in 2016, and it is estimated that there are currently over 4,000 people carrying the Kopecky name living in Canada.
So while the Kopecky surname is still relatively rare among the English-speaking world, it is still widely found in countries such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, as well as many parts of the United States and Canada.
Variations of the surname Kopecky
The surname Kopecky has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include: Kopec, Kopecek, Kopecka, Kopecký, Kopecny, Kopeckovsky, Kopečný, Kopeček, Kopecký, Kopic, Kópicz and Kopit.
Kopec is the Polish spelling of the surname and Kopecek is the Czeck spelling, both of which mean "small coin". In some instances, it may also be interpreted to mean "one who makes coins".
Kopecka is a feminine form of the surname. Kopecký is a Czech variation, while Kopecny is the Slovak spelling. Kopeckovsky is a derived form of Kopecký, a Jewish variant created when Jews in the Czech Republic where required to take on a fixed surname in the 19th century.
Kopečný is a respelled form of the surname, while Kopeček is a slightly modified version. Kopic is a Croatian variation, while Kópicz is a Hungarian spelling. Finally, Kopit is the Croatian variation.
These are all variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Kopecky. In addition to the list above, other common variations include Køpecký, Køpecky and Køpiec.
Famous people with the name Kopecky
- Jakub Kopecký: professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Florida Panthers.
- Ryan Kopecky: former professional ice hockey player, and brother of Jakub Kopecký.
- Sergei Kopecky: former Russian professional ice hockey player.
- Milan Kopecký: Czech football player.
- Jozef Kopecký: Slovak concertmaster.
- Robert Kopecky: American author, cancer survivor and mentor.
- Eugen Kopecký: Norwegian linguist and professor.
- Karol Kopecký: Slovakian musician and saxophonist.
- Blažej Kopecký: Slovakian artistic gymnast.
- Michal Kopecky– Czech professional footballer.
- Rastislav Kopecky: Slovak modern pentathlete.
- Billy Kopecky: American ice hockey player and coach.
- Ferdinand Kopecky: Czech cross-country skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics.
- Jakub Kopecký: Czech footballer.
- Marcin Kopecky: Polish journalist and television personality.
- Liba Kopecký: Czech entrepreneur and creative director.
- Vaclav Kopecky: Czech diplomat and former ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom.
- Vladimír Kopecký: Czech conductor and composer.
- Alexandr Kopecky: Czech canoeist.
- Jan Kopecký: Czech rally driver and six-time European rally champion.