Czech surnames

Czech surnames and what they mean

455 Czech family names, what they meant in the village they came from, and where they were most common in Czechia in 2017.

• Adam from the first name Adam
• Adamec from the first name Adam
• Adámek “little Adam”
• Anděl “angel”
• Andrle “little Andreas”
• Balcar from the first name Baltazar (Balthazar)
• Bareš from the first name Bartoloměj (Bartholomew)
• Bárta from the first name Bartoloměj
• Barták from the first name Bartoloměj (Bartholomew)
• Bartoň from the first name Bartoloměj (Bartholomew)
• Bartoš from the first name Bartoloměj (Bartholomew)
• Bauer “farmer”
• Bednář “cooper”
• Benda from the first name Benedikt
• Beneš from the first name Benedikt
• Beran “ram”
• Beránek “little lamb”
• Bílek “the white one”
• Bílý “white”
• Blaha from first names such as Blahoslav, Blahomil or Blažej
• Bláha from blaho, “bliss, well-being”
• Blažek from the first name Blažej (Blaise)
• Blecha “flea”
• Boček a diminutive of the surname Bok, or from levoboček “illegitimate child”
• Boháč “rich man”
• Böhm Bohemian, Czech
• Bouška from a pet form of first names like Bohuslav or Bohumil
• Brabec “sparrow”
• Brož from the first name Ambrož (Ambrose)
• Brožek from the first name Ambrož (Ambrose), via its short form Brož
• Brychta from the first name Brikcius (Bricius)
• Březina “birch grove”
• Buchta buchta
• Burda mostly from the first name Burian
• Bureš from the first name Burian or Bořivoj
• Burian from the first name Burian
• Cibulka “little onion”
• Císař “emperor”
• Coufal “he backed away”
• Čáp stork
• Čapek “little stork”
• Čech “Czech”
• Čejka “lapwing”
• Čermák “redstart”
• Černík from černý “black”
• Černoch from černý “black”
• Černý “black”
• Červenka “robin”
• Červený “red”
• Červinka linked to red
• Čížek “siskin”
• Daněk “fallow deer”
• Daniel from the first name Daniel
• David from the first name David
• Diviš from the old first name Diviš, the Czech form of Dionysius
• Dlouhý “tall, long”
• Dobeš from old first names like Dobeslav, sometimes from Tobiáš (Tobias)
• Dobrovolný “voluntary”
• Dočekal “he lived to see” or “he waited for”
• Dočkal he lived to see it or “he waited”
• Dohnal “he caught up”
• Dolejš the lower one
• Dolejší “the lower one”
• Doležal “he lay down”
• Doležel a nickname for a lazy man, from the verb doležet
• Dostál “he got (his share)”
• Doubek little oak
• Drábek a diminutive of Dráb
• Duda “bagpiper”
• Dudek “hoopoe”
• Dufek a misreading of the name Dušek: old script wrote “š” as a double long s
• Dušek from the first name Duchoslav, or duše, “soul”
• Dvorský “of the court”
• Dvořáček “little Dvořák”
• Dvořák a man from the dvůr
• Eliáš from the first name Eliáš (Elijah)
• Fiala “violet”
• Filip from the first name Filip (Philip)
• Fischer “fisherman”
• Fišer “fisherman” (from German Fischer)
• Fojtík “little fojt”
• Foltýn from the first name Valentin (Valentine)
• Formánek “little carter”
• Franc from Franc, a German pet form of the first name František (Francis)
• Gabriel from the first name Gabriel
• Gajdoš “bagpiper”
• Gregor from the first name Gregor, the German form of Řehoř (Gregory)
• Hájek “a little grove”
• Hanák a man from Haná, the plain of central Moravia
• Hanuš from Hanuš, a form of the first name Jan (John) via German Johannes
• Hašek from a pet form of the first name Haštal
• Havel from the first name Havel (Gall)
• Havelka from the first name Havel (Gall)
• Havlíček “little Havel”
• Havlík from the first name Havel (Gall)
• Havránek “little rook”
• Heřman from the first name Heřman (Herman)
• Hladík from hladký, “smooth”
• Hladký “smooth”
• Hlaváč “big-head”
• Hlaváček “little head”
• Hlavatý big-headed, headstrong
• Hloušek the deaf one
• Holec “beardless young man”
• Holub “pigeon, dove”
• Holý “bare, bald”
• Homola cone, sugarloaf
• Homolka little cone
• Hora mountain
• Horáček “little highlander”
• Horák “highlander”
• Horký “hot”
• Houdek fiddler
• Hovorka “chatterbox”
• Hradil from the verb hradit, “to fence in, fortify” or “to pay”
• Hrbek “little hump”
• Hrdina hero
• Hrdlička “turtledove”
• Hrnčíř “potter”
• Hrubý “coarse, rough, big”
• Hruška “pear”
• Hrůza “dread” or “fright”
• Hubáček from huba, old Czech for “lips”
• Hudec “musician”
• Hudeček little fiddler
• Husák gander
• Hynek from the first name Hynek, a Czech form of Heinrich (Henry)
• Chaloupka “little cottage”
• Chalupa “cottage”
• Charvát “Croat”
• Chládek pleasant coolness
• Chmelař “hop grower” or “hop picker”
• Chmelík from chmel “hops”
• Chovanec foster child
• Chytil “he caught”
• Jahoda “strawberry”
• Janda from the first name Jan (John)
• Janeček “little Jan”
• Janíček little Jan
• Janík little Jan
• Janků “Janek’s”
• Janoušek “little Jan”
• Janovský a man from Janov or Janovice
• Jansa from the first name Jan (John)
• Janů from the first name Jan (John)
• Jaroš from the first name Jaroslav
• Javůrek “little maple”
• Jedlička “little fir tree”
• Jelínek “little deer”
• Jeřábek “little rowan tree”
• Ježek “hedgehog”
• Jílek from the first name Jiljí (Giles)
• Jindra from Jindra, a pet form of the first name Jindřich (Henry)
• Jirásek from the first name Jiří (George)
• Jirků Jirka’s
• Jonáš from the first name Jonáš (Jonah)
• Kadlec “weaver”
• Kafka jackdaw
• Kalina “guelder rose”
• Kalous “long-eared owl”
• Kantor “cantor”
• Karas crucian carp, or from the first name Karel (Charles)
• Karlík “little Karel”
• Kašpar from the first name Kašpar (Caspar), one of the Three Kings
• Kašpárek little Kašpar
• Klein small
• Klement from the first name Klement (Clement)
• Klíma from the first name Klement
• Klimeš from the first name Klement (Clement)
• Kocourek “little tomcat”
• Kočí “coachman”
• Kohout “rooster”
• Kohoutek little rooster
• Koláček little cake
• Kolář “wheelwright”
• Kolařík little wheelwright
• Komárek “little mosquito”
• Konečný “the last one”
• Kopecký from kopec, “hill”
• Kopečný “of the hill”
• Kopřiva “nettle”
• Kořínek “little root”
• Kos “blackbird”
• Kostka “die” or “little bone”
• Košťál stalk
• Kotek probably “little tomcat”; perhaps from first names such as Gottfried or Chotěbor
• Kouba from the first name Jakub (Jacob)
• Koudelka “a tuft of flax”
• Koutný “from the corner”
• Kovář “blacksmith”
• Kovařík “little smith”
• Kozák “goatherd”
• Kozel “billy goat”
• Král “king”
• Králík rabbit
• Krátký “short”
• Kratochvíl “pastime, amusement”
• Kraus German “curly”
• Krejčí “tailor”
• Krejčík “little tailor”
• Kroupa “hailstone”
• Krupička “fine semolina”
• Kříž “cross”
• Kuba from Kuba, a pet form of the first name Jakub (Jacob)
• Kubát from the first name Jakub (Jacob)
• Kubeš from the first name Jakub (Jacob)
• Kubíček “little Kuba”
• Kubík from the first name Jakub (Jacob)
• Kubín from the first name Jakub (Jacob), via its pet form Kuba
• Kučera “a curl”
• Kudrna “a curl”
• Kuchař “cook”
• Kulhánek “the limper”
• Kvapil “he hurried”
• Lang tall
• Langer “long”
• Linhart from the German first name Leonhard
• Liška “fox”
• Lorenc from the Latin first name Laurentius (Lawrence), Czech Vavřinec
• Ludvík from the first name Ludvík (Louis)
• Lukáš from the first name Lukáš (Luke)
• Lukeš from the first name Lukáš (Luke)
• Macek from first names starting Ma-, like Matouš (Matthew) or Matěj (Matthias)
• Mach from the first name Matěj (Matthias)
• Macháček “little Mach”
• Machala from a first name beginning Ma-, such as Matěj or Martin
• Majer “farm steward”
• Málek “the little one”
• Malík from malý, “small”, or malík, “little finger”
• Malina raspberry
• Malý “small”
• Mareček “little Marek”
• Marek from the first name Marek (Mark)
• Mareš from the first name Marek or Martin
• Maršálek “marshal”
• Martinek “little Martin”
• Martínek “little Martin”
• Mařík from the old Czech first name Mařík
• Mašek from the first name Matěj or Tomáš
• Matějka from the first name Matěj
• Matouš from the first name Matouš (Matthew)
• Matoušek from the first name Matouš (Matthew)
• Matula from the first names Matěj or Matouš (Matthias, Matthew)
• Matuška from Matúš, a dialect form of the first name Matouš (Matthew)
• Matyáš from the first name Matyáš (Matthias)
• Melichar from the first name Melichar (Melchior), one of the Three Kings
• Menšík the smaller one
• Michal from the first name Michal (Michael)
• Michálek “little Michael”
• Mikeš from the first name Mikuláš (Nicholas)
• Mikula from Mikula, a pet form of the first name Mikuláš (Nicholas)
• Minařík from mlynařík, “little miller”
• Moravec “Moravian”
• Mráz “frost”
• Mrázek “little frost”
• Mucha fly
• Müller German “miller”
• Musil “he had to”
• Mužík “little man”
• Navrátil “he came back”
• Nečas “bad weather”
• Nedvěd “bear”
• Nejedlý inedible
• Němec “German”
• Němeček “little German”
• Neumann “new man”
• Nosek “little nose”
• Nováček “newcomer”
• Novák “the new one”
• Novotný “the new one”
• Nový “new”
• Ondráček from Ondra, a pet form of the first name Ondřej (Andrew)
• Pátek “Friday”
• Pavelka from Pavelka, a pet form of the first name Pavel (Paul)
• Pavlíček “little Paul”
• Pavlík “little Paul”
• Pech probably from the first name Petr (Peter), not German Pech, “bad luck”
• Pelikán “pelican”
• Pešek from the first name Petr, or pěší, “on foot”
• Pešta from the first name Petr (Peter)
• Peterka from the first name Petr (Peter)
• Petr from the first name Petr (Peter)
• Petřík “little Petr”
• Pilař sawyer
• Plaček weeper
• Plachý shy
• Pokorný “humble, meek”
• Poláček “little Pole”
• Polách a Pole
• Polák “Pole”
• Polášek from Polach, dialect for “a Pole”
• Polívka soup
• Popelka from the old first name Popel, or popelka, a kitchen helper who tended the hearth
• Pospíchal “he hurried”
• Pospíšil “he hurried”
• Pražák Praguer
• Prchal he fled
• Procházka “a walk, a stroll”
• Prokeš from the first name Prokop (Procopius)
• Prokop from the first name Prokop (Procopius), the Czech saint
• Provazník “rope maker”
• Přibyl “he arrived”
• Příhoda “an event”
• Ptáček “little bird”
• Richter German “judge”
• Růžička “little rose”
• Ryšavý red-haired
• Řehák from the first name Řehoř (Gregory)
• Řezáč “cutter”
• Řezníček “little butcher”
• Říha from the first name Řehoř (Gregory)
• Samek probably from the first name Samuel
• Sedláček “a small farmer” (diminutive of sedlák)
• Sedlák “farmer”
• Sedlář “saddler”
• Seidl from the German first name Siegfried
• Schneider tailor
• Schwarz black
• Skála “rock”
• Skalický a man from Skalice or Skalička
• Sklenář “glazier”
• Skřivánek “little lark”
• Slabý weak
• Sládek “brewer”
• Sláma “straw”
• Slavíček “little nightingale”
• Slavík “nightingale”
• Slezák “Silesian”
• Slovák “a Slovak”
• Smetana “cream”
• Smolík from smolit “to soil”, or smola “pine resin”
• Smutný sad
• Sobotka “Saturday”
• Sochor crowbar, lever
• Sojka jay
• Sokol falcon
• Souček from suk, “knot in wood”
• Soukup “co-buyer”
• Sova “owl”
• Spáčil he defied
• Spurný “rebellious”
• Staněk from the first name Stanislav
• Starý “old”
• Stehlík “goldfinch”
• Stejskal “he longed, grieved”
• Straka “magpie”
• Stránský from stráň, “hillside”
• Strnad “yellowhammer”
• Studený “cold”
• Stuchlík miser
• Suchánek “the skinny one”
• Suchý “dry, thin”
• Svoboda “freedom”
• Sýkora “titmouse”
• Synek “little son”
• Šafář “bailiff”
• Šafránek “little saffron”
• Šebek probably from the first name Šebestián (Sebastian)
• Šebesta from the first name Šebestián (Sebastian)
• Šedivý “grey”
• Ševčík “little shoemaker”
• Šíma from Šíma, a pet form of the first name Šimon (Simon)
• Šimek from the first name Šimon (Simon)
• Šimon from the first name Šimon (Simon)
• Šindelář “shingle-maker”
• Šiška “a cone”
• Škoda “damage, harm”
• Šmejkal he dragged
• Šmíd “smith” (from German Schmied)
• Šnajdr “tailor”
• Špaček “starling”
• Šrámek “little scar”
• Šťastný “happy, lucky”
• Štěpán from the first name Štěpán (Stephen)
• Štěpánek from the first name Štěpán (Stephen)
• Štěrba “gap, crevice”
• Šubrt a Czech spelling of the German surname Schubert
• Šulc village headman (from German Schultz)
• Šustr “shoemaker”
• Šváb “a Swabian”
• Švarc “black”
• Švec “shoemaker”
• Táborský a man from Tábor
• Tesař “carpenter”
• Tichý “quiet”
• Toman from the first name Tomáš (Thomas)
• Tománek from the first name Tomáš (Thomas)
• Tomáš from the first name Tomáš (Thomas)
• Tomášek “little Thomas”
• Tomek from the first name Tomáš (Thomas)
• Trnka “sloe, blackthorn”
• Tůma from the first name Tomáš (Thomas)
• Turek “Turk”
• Uher “a Hungarian”
• Uhlíř “charcoal burner”
• Urban from the first name Urban
• Urbánek “little Urban”
• Vacek from the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Václavík “little Václav”
• Vaculík from the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vágner wheelwright
• Vácha from a pet form of the first name Václav (Wenceslas) or Vavřinec (Lawrence)
• Vala from the first name Valentin (Valentine)
• Valenta from the first name Valentin
• Váňa from a pet form of the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vaněček from the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vaněk from the first name Václav or Jan
• Vaníček probably from Váňa or Vaník, pet forms of the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vašek from Vašek, a pet form of the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vašíček from a pet form of the first name Václav (Wenceslas)
• Vávra from the first name Vavřinec (Lawrence)
• Večeřa “supper”
• Verner from the German first name Werner
• Veselý “cheerful, merry”
• Veverka “squirrel”
• Vítek from the first name Vít (Vitus)
• Vlach “Italian”
• Vlasák “the hairy one”
• Vlček “little wolf”
• Vlk “wolf”
• Vodička “a little water”
• Vojáček little soldier
• Vojta from Vojta, a pet form of the first name Vojtěch (Adalbert)
• Vojtěch from the first name Vojtěch (Adalbert)
• Vojtíšek “little Vojtěch”
• Volf “wolf” (from German Wolf)
• Volný “free”
• Vondra from Ondra, a pet form of the first name Ondřej (Andrew)
• Vondráček from Vondra, a pet form of the first name Ondřej (Andrew)
• Vorel “eagle”
• Votava from the name of the Otava river
• Vrána “crow”
• Vrba “willow”
• Vyskočil he jumped out
• Wagner “wagon maker” or “wagon driver”
• Wolf from the German first name Wolfgang, or German Wolf, “wolf”
• Zahradník “gardener”
• Zach from the first name Zachariáš (Zachary)
• Zajíc “hare”
• Zajíček “little hare”
• Zámečník locksmith
• Zapletal “he got entangled”
• Záruba timber fence
• Zatloukal “he hammered in”
• Zavadil from the old verb zavadit, which could mean “to burden with debt”
• Zbořil he tore down
• Zelenka “the green one”
• Zelený green
• Zeman “yeoman”
• Zemánek little squire
• Zíka from the first name Zikmund (Sigismund)
• Zikmund from the first name Zikmund (Sigismund)
• Zima winter
• Žáček “little pupil”
• Žák “pupil, student”