# Novak

Novak (in Serbo-Croatian and Slovene; Cyrillic: Новак), Novák (in Hungarian, Czech and Slovak), or Nowak (in Polish), is a surname and masculine given name, derived from the Slavic word for "new" (e.g. Polish: nowy, Czech: nový, Serbo-Croatian: nov / нов), which depending on the exact language and usage, translates as "novice", "new man", "newcomer", or "stranger".
It is pronounced almost the same way in most languages, with the stress on the first syllable. The main exceptions are Slovene, which places the stress on the last syllable and Hungarian, which stresses the "á".
It is the most common surname in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia, and the sixth most common in Croatia. It is also found in Romania and Moldova, in the Novac form, and among Ashkenazi Jews in various forms depending on their country of origin.

## Spelling

The surname is usually spelled Novak (Cyrillic: Новак) in Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian, Novák in Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian and Nowak in Polish and German.

## In specific countries
### Poland

As of 2009, Nowak (Polish pronunciation:) is the most common surname in Poland, having surpassed Kowalski. Its plural is Nowakowie. Nowak is used by both male and female individuals. The archaic feminine version is Nowakowa.
Related surnames include Nowakowski (feminine: Nowakowska; plural: Nowakowscy), Nowacki (feminine: Nowacka; plural: Nowaccy), Nowakowicz (gender-neutral), and Nowakiewicz (gender-neutral).
There are two noble families of Polish origin with the surname Nowak:
* One family appeared in Silesia in the 15th century. It included Anatol Nowak (died 1456), Archbishop of Wrocław. A branch of this family became barons in Bohemia in 1660.
* One family appeared in Masovia around 1750. This family included Antoni and Józef Nowak, generals in the Polish army that served Napoleon, and Aleksander Nowak, a general of the Polish forces during the November Uprising in 1831 against Russia.

### Czech Republic and Slovakia

Novák is widespread in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In both countries, the feminine form is Nováková. It is the most common surname in the Czech Republic.

### Slovenia

Novak is the most common surname in Slovenia with more than 11,000 sharing it. There are however significant variations between regions: it is very common in central Slovenia (in the regions around Ljubljana and Celje), as well as in parts of southern Slovenia and eastern Slovenia (Lower Carniola, Prekmurje). It is much less common in northern and western Slovenia; in the Goriška region on the border with Italy, it is quite rare. The rank of the surname Novak in the Slovenian statistical regions: 1st in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region (3,422) and Savinja Statistical Region (1,380); 2nd in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region (1,231) and Mura Statistical Region (1,040); 3rd in the Drava Statistical Region (1,732); 5th in the Upper Carniola Statistical Region (963) and Lower Sava Statistical Region (380); 6th in the Coastal–Karst Statistical Region (228); 8th in the Central Sava Statistical Region (192); 10th in the Carinthia Statistical Region (238); 11th in the Inner Carniola–Karst Statistical Region (228); 131st in the Gorizia Statistical Region (171).

### Other countries

In Croatia, Novak is the sixth most common surname.
In Serbia and Montenegro, Novak is a given name, while Novaković is found as a common surname.
In Germany, Nowak is 159th (c. 31,000) and Noack is 270th (c. 22,000), together with different spellings (c. 64,000), with some concentration in the Ruhr area, around Salzgitter and Lüchow-Dannenberg and as Noack in Lusatia.

## People
### Novak and Novák surname
#### A–J

* Alexander Novak (born 1971), Russian politician
* Anatole Novak (1937–2022), French bicycle racer
* Andrew Novak (born 1995), American professional golfer
* Andriy Novak (born 1988), Ukrainian footballer
* Anthony Novak (born 1994), Canadian soccer player
* Anthony Novak, plaintiff in Novak v. City of Parma
* Arne Novák (1880–1939), Czech literary historian and critic
* Augustin Novák, a World War I flying ace
* B. J. Novak (born 1979), American writer, comedian and actor known for The Office
* Barbara Novak (born 1922), American art historian
* Brandon Novak (born 1978), American skateboarder
* Brett Novak, an American filmmaker and director
* Dalma Novak, Australian electrical engineer
* David Novak (disambiguation), several persons
* Dennis Novak (born 1993), Austrian tennis player
* Dezső Novák (1939–2014), Hungarian footballer
* Doug Novak, women's basketball coach for Mississippi State
* Dragutin Novak (1892–1978), Croatian aviator
* Džoni Novak (born 1969), Slovenian former footballer
* Emil Novák, Czech snowboarder
* Éva Novák-Gerard (1930–2005), Hungarian swimmer
* Evelin Novak (born 1965), Croatian operatic soprano
* Ewa Nowak (born 1966), Polish writer
* Ferenc Novák (born 1969), Hungarian canoer and Olympic champion
* Filip Novák (born 1982), Czech professional ice hockey defenceman
* Franz Novak (1913–1983), Austrian SS-Hauptsturmführer
* Gabi Novak (born 1936), Croatian pop singer
* Gary Novak (born 1969), American session drummer
* Grga Novak (1888–1978), Croatian historian, archaeologist and geographer
* Grigory Novak (1919–1980), Ukrainian Olympic weightlifter
* Ilona Novák (1925–2019), Hungarian swimmer and Olympic champion
* Ján Novák (1921–1984), Czech composer
* Ján Novák (born 1985), Slovak footballer
* Ján Novák (born 1979), Czech professional ice hockey player
* Jane Novak (1896–1990), actress in silent films
* Jeff Novak (born 1967), former American footballer
* Jim Novak (1955–2018), American comic book letterer
* Jiří Novák (born 1975), Czech former tennis player
* Joe Novak (born 1945), retired college football coach
* John Novak (born 1955), actor
* John Philip Novak (born 1946), American politician
* Jorge Novak (1928–2001), Argentine bishop
* Joseph D. Novak (born 1930), American educator

#### K–Z

* Karel Novák, Czech slalom canoeist
* Katalin Novák, former Hungarian president
* Kate Novak, American fantasy writer
* Kayvan Novak (born 1978), British-Iranian actor
* Kevin Novak (born 1982), American soccer player
* Kim Novak (born 1933), American actress
* Krysia Nowak (born 1948), British artist
* Ladislav Novák (1931–2011), Czech football player and manager
* Laila Novak (born 1942), Swedish model and actress
* Ljudmila Novak (born 1959), Slovenian politician and Member of the European Parliament
* Martin Novák, Czech ice hockey player
* Marzenka Novak (1945–2011), Argentine actress
* Matěj Novák (born 1989), Czech figure skater
* Mel Novak (born 1942), American actor
* Michael Novak (1933–2017), conservative American Roman Catholic philosopher and diplomat
* Michael Novak (footballer), Austrian footballer
* Mike Novak (1915–1978), American National Basketball League player
* Mirjam Novak (born 1981), German actress and screenwriter
* Miroslav Novák (1907–2000), Czech Hussite bishop
* Nick Novak (born 1981), National Football League placekicker
* Otto Novák (1902–1984), Czech footballer
* Petr Novák (disambiguation)
* Robert Novak (1931–2009), American journalist and conservative political commentator
* Rudolph Novak, American gymnast
* Slobodan Novak (1924–2016), Croatian writer
* Slobodan Prosperov Novak (born 1951), Croatian literary historian
* Stan Novak (died 2006), American basketball player, coach and scout
* Štefan Novák (1879–1932), Greek Catholic Bishop of the Eparchy of Prešov
* Steve Novak (born 1983), basketball player
* Tom Novak, marketing professor
* Tommy Novak (born 1997), American Ice Hockey Player
* Viktor Novak (1889–1977), Yugoslav historian
* Vilmos Aba-Novák (1894–1941), Hungarian painter and graphic artist
* Vítězslav Novák (1870–1949), Czech composer
* Viveca Novak, American journalist
* Vjenceslav Novak (1859–1905), Croatian writer
* Vladimír Novák (painter) (born 1947), Czech painter
* Vladimír Novák (skier) (1904–1986), Czechoslovak Nordic skier
* Zbyněk Novák (born 1983), Czech ice hockey player

### Novakov surname

* Andrey Novakov (born 1988), Bulgarian politician
* Anna Novakov, Serbian-American art historian and curator
* Anton Novakov, Bessarabian industrialist and politician
* Boncho Novakov (born 1935), Bulgarian cyclist
* Tihomir Novakov (1929–2015), Serbian-born American physicist

### Nováková surname

* Daniela Trandžíková-Nováková (born 1956), Slovak handball player
* Eva Nováková (born 1938), Czech politician
* Ivana Nováková (born 1965), Czech basketball player
* Kristýna Badinková Nováková (born 1983), Czech film and television actress
* Petra Nováková (born 1993), Czech skier
* Soňa Nováková (born 1975), Czech female beach volleyball player
* Šárka Nováková (born 1971), Czech high jumper
* Teréza Nováková (1853–1912), Czech feminist author, editor, and ethnographer
* Vratislava Nováková, Czechoslovak slalom canoer

### Nowak surname

* Amram Nowak [de], Academy Award–nominated director of Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer
* Anton Nowak (1865–1932), Austrian artist
* Bartosz Nowak, Polish footballer
* Cécile Nowak (born 1967), French judoka
* Henry J. Nowak (1935–2024), member of United States House of Representatives (1975–1993)
* Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (1914–2005), Polish journalist and World War II hero
* Jerzy Nowak, Polish actor
* Jerzy Robert Nowak, Polish historian
* Józef Nowak (1925–1984), Polish actor
* Julian Nowak (1865–1946), Polish physician, veterinarian, bacteriologist, and politician
* Katarzyna Nowak, Polish tennis player
* Kazimierz Nowak (1897–1937), Polish traveler
* Leopold Nowak (1904–1991), Austrian musicologist
* Lisa Nowak (born 1963), American astronaut
* Łukasz Nowak (born 1988), Polish athlete
* Marco Nowak, German ice hockey player
* Mark Nowak (born 1964), American poet and writer
* Manfred Nowak (born 1950), United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture
* Martin Nowak (born 1965), Austrian mathematical biologist
* Mateusz Nowak, Polish cyclist
* Oskar Nowak (1913–1989), Austrian ice hockey player
* Piotr Nowak (born 1964), Polish footballer and manager
* Sylwia Nowak, Polish ice dancer
* Tadeusz Nowak, Polish footballer
* Teresa Nowak (born 1942), Polish athlete
* Tim Nowak, German decathlete
* Wanda Nowak (1913–?), Austrian athlete
* Zdzisław Nowak (1906–1996), Polish athlete
* Zenon Nowak (1905–1980), Polish trade union activist and politician

### Novak given name

* Novak Djokovic (born 1987), Serbian tennis player
* Starina Novak (1530–1601), Serbian brigand and rebel
* Novak Grebostrek (fl. 1312), Serbian commander
* Novak Karaljuk (fl. 1404), Serbian commander
* Novak Kilibarda (1934–2023), Montenegrin politician
* Novak Martinović (born 1985), Serbian footballer
* Novak Novak [sh] (1928–1995), Serbian writer and journalist
* Novak Radonić (1826–1890), Serbian painter
* Novak Roganović (1932–2008), Serbian footballer
* Novak Tomić (1936–2003), Serbian footballer

## Characters

* Allie Novak, character from the Australian drama series Wentworth
* Arpad Novack, from Illatszertár (Parfumerie), the Hungarian play used as inspiration for The Shop Around the Corner
* Barbara Novak, in the movie Down with Love played by Renée Zellweger
* Billy Novak, in the Amazon television series The Collection
* Bobby Novak, from the American television series Pearson
* Casey Novak, in Law & Order: SVU
* Dazzle Novak, in the television series Moonbeam City
* Georg Nowack, a character from the musical She Loves Me inspired by The Shop Around the Corner
* Holland and Dewey Novak, characters in the television series Eureka Seven
* James Novak, a character on the television series Scandal
* Jessica Novak, eponymous character of American drama television series
* Jimmy Novak, his wife Amelia and his daughter Claire Novak, from the television series Supernatural
* John Novak, protagonist of the television show Mr. Novak
* Klara Novak, a character on The Shop Around the Corner, played by Margaret Sullavan
* Lindsey Novak, recurring character in the Stargate Atlantis television series
* Oscar Novak, main character of the romantic comedy film Three to Tango.
* Pat Novak, in The Novak Element in the movie RoboCop
* Pat Novak, played by Jack Webb in the old-time radio program Pat Novak, for Hire
* Sydney Novak, played by Sophia Lillis in the Netflix series I Am Not Okay With This
* Tom Nowak, in the movie Test pilota Pirxa
* Tommy Nowak, in the movie Pink Cadillac, played by Clint Eastwood
* Trishka Novak, character in the 2011 video game Bulletstorm
* Zig Novak, character on television series Degrassi
* Nowak, character on manga Orb: On the Movements of the Earth