# Novak (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/novak/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Czech |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 35,461 |
| US rank (2010) | 980 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 8,707 people |
| Change since 2000 | +0.5% (35,282 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Usually from Czech Novák or Slovak Novák, but possibly also from Serbo-Croatian Nȍvāk, Slovene Novák, or Hungarian Novák.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Novak in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 95% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 0.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 1.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Novak in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria and Argentina.

## People named Novak

- Kim Novak, American actress
- B. J. Novak, American actor
- Michael Novak, American theologian, philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat (1933-2017)
- Steve Novak, American basketball player (born 1983)
- Jane Novak, American actress (1896-1990)
- Kayvan Novak, British actor
- Eva Novak, American film actress (1898-1988)
- Dennis Novak, Austrian tennis player
- Robert Novak, American journalist and columnist (1931-2009)
- Brandon Novak, American skateboarder and motivational speaker
- Mel Novak, American actor (1935-2025)
- Joseph D. Novak, American educator (1932–2023)

and 2 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Novack, Novick, Nieves, Neves, Navas, Neaves, Nevius, Naves, Nobbs.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.