105+ Czech Last Names & Their Interesting Meanings

Like many other cultures, family names in the Czech Republic carry a ton of meaning and family tradition, some more literal than others. Czech women traditionally take their husband’s last name after marriage, but given the gendered nature of the Czech language, the ending of the name will change depending on whether it belongs to a woman or a man. Per Family Education, if the last name is a male adjective or noun, the women’s version will change its spelling to match the feminine version of the adjective. Often, the ending is changed for the women’s name by adding “-ova” if the husband’s Czech last name translates to a noun. It sounds complicated, but once you have a firm understanding of the Czech language and the name’s actual meaning and origin, it adds up. Most Czech last names originate from the Czech language as well as German (explaining why some German surnames sound similar) and Slovak, given the countries’ proximity to each other and shared history.

Read on to learn more about some of the most popular Czech last names, where they come from, and what they mean.

Most Popular Czech Last Names

1. Adamcik

Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Adam.

2. Ales

Meaning: from a short form of the personal names Alexis, Albert, Albrecht, or Alexandr.

3. Andel

Meaning: angel.

4. Andrasko

Meaning: a pet form of Andrasek, a variant of Ondrášek.

5. Artim

Meaning: unexplained.

6. Baar

Meaning: from a short form of the personal name Bartolomaeus.

7. Babinec

Meaning: nickname meaning “coward.”

8. Bakalar

Meaning: from medieval Latin baccalarius, meaning “school teacher.”

9. Baloun

Meaning: variant of Valon, ethnic name for a Walloon.

10. Balusek

Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Balus, a reduced form of Baltazar.

11. Belinsky

Meaning: habitational name from a place called Bělín.

12. Betlach

Meaning: occupational name for a weaver or seller of bedsheets.

13. Bonta

Meaning: pet form of the personal names Bonifác or Bonaventura.

14. Brabec

Meaning: nickname from brabec, meaning “sparrow.”

15. Capek

Meaning: a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a stork.

16. Cejka

Meaning: nickname from čejka, meaning “lapwing.”

17. Cerny

Meaning: “black,” hence a nickname for a black-haired person.

18. Cerveny

Meaning: from červený, meaning “red” or “ruddy,” hence a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

19. Chaloupka

Meaning: from a diminutive of chalupa, meaning “peasant’s cottage.”

20. Cibulka

Meaning: from cibule, meaning “onion” — a nickname for someone with a head thought to resemble an onion or an occupational name for an onion seller.

21. Darilek

Meaning: nickname for a prosperous individual.

22. Dobransky

Meaning: habitational name from a place called Dobřany.

23. Dolezal

Meaning: nickname for a lazy man.

24. Dobry

Meaning: good or honest.

25. Dvoracek

Meaning: from a diminutive of Dvořák.

26. Dvornik

Meaning: a rich farmer, or someone who owns an estate or manor.

27. Dyk

Meaning: a diminutive from the first name Benedikt.

28. Ermis

Meaning: a reduced form of the personal name Jeremiáš.

29. Fait

Meaning: from the German veit, after St. Veit — the patron saint against fire.

30. Fojtik

Meaning: a word for a bailiff or other administrator.

31. Fousek

Meaning: nickname from fousek, meaning “mustache.”

32. Gaba

Meaning: a version of the name “Gabriel.”

33. Galuska

Meaning: variant of haluška, meaning “pasta.”

34. Gavenda

Meaning: nickname for a chatterbox; from gavenda, meaning “talkative.”

35. Hajny

Meaning: a word for a gamekeeper.

36. Hanzlik

Meaning: pet form of personal name Hanzel.

37. Havelka

Meaning: pet form of the personal name Havel.

38. Hlavak

Meaning: from the word for “head,” often attributed to someone really smart or with a large head.

39. Holec

Meaning: nickname for a beardless young man.

40. Holik

Meaning: nickname for the word holý meaning bare or “clean shaven.”

41. Hollas

Meaning: someone who lives near a field of holly.

42. Holoubek

Meaning: “little pigeon.”

43. Holub

Meaning: “dove” or mild-mannered man.

44. Holy

Meaning: an evergreen shrub.

45. Homola

Meaning: cone or nickname for someone with a pointed or cone-shaped head.

46. Homolka

Meaning: a cone-shaped lump of crease cheese or a nickname for some who is soft spoken.

47. Hora

Meaning: mountain, hill, or forest.

48. Janousek

Meaning: from the first name John.

49. Kalal

Meaning: a woodcutter, from the Moravian word meaning “to cut.”

50. Kotek

Meaning: kitten or tomcat.

51. Magyar

Meaning: pearl.

52. Malecek

Meaning: small.

53. Maruska

Meaning: a pet form of the personal name Maruše.

54. Nerad

Meaning: a picky, pestering person.

55. Novacek

Meaning: a diminutive of Novak.

56. Olejnik

Meaning: someone who sells cooking oil.

57. Onderko

Meaning: a derivative of the personal name Ondřej.

58. Opalka

Meaning: occupational name for a basket maker; from opálka, meaning “woven basket.”

59. Pacek

Meaning: a pet form of the Old Czech personal name Pačej.

60. Palecek

Meaning: someone who is small or missing a thumb.

61. Slezak

Meaning: someone from Slevasia.

62. Straka

Meaning: someone who steals.

63. Trinka

Meaning: thorn.

More Czech Last Names

1. Beran

Meaning: stubborn or ram.

1. Cech

Meaning: newcomer.

1. Cervenka

Meaning: “red in the face.”

1. Chalupa

Meaning: cottage.

1. Chvata

Meaning: to hurry.

1. Cizek

Meaning: siskin; type of bird.

1. Fiala

Meaning: violet or flower.

1. Hajek

Meaning: thicket.

1. Hlavacek

Meaning: head.

1. Holub

Meaning: pigeon.

1. Horacek

Meaning: mountain.

1. Hruby

Meaning: coarse or crude.

1. Jelen

Meaning: stag.

1. Jezek

Meaning: hedgehog.

1. Kalas

Meaning: strife.

1. Kovarik

Meaning: smith.

1. Kolář

Meaning: wheelwright.

1. Kratochvil

Meaning: pastime.

1. Kraus

Meaning: curly.

1. Krejci

Meaning: tailor.

1. Kysely

Meaning: sour.

1. Matejka

Meaning: derives from the name Matej.

1. Musil

Meaning: must.

1. Navratil

Meaning: to return.

1. Nemec

Meaning: mute or foreigner.

1. Nosek

Meaning: little nose.

1. Skala

Meaning: “strong as a rock.”

1. Slavik

Meaning: nightingale.

1. Stepanek

Meaning: derives from the name Stephen.

1. Strnad

Meaning: bunting.

1. Tichý

Meaning: calm.

1. Zelenka

Meaning: green.

Even More Czech Last Names

1. Bartos

Meaning: son of Talmay.

1. Bosko

Meaning: barefoot.

1. Hornik

Meaning: miner.

1. Kaluza

Meaning: puddle.

1. Klement

Meaning: merciful or gentle.

1. Kostelecky

Meaning: church.

1. Král

Meaning: king.

1. Kriz

Meaning: from the cross.

1. Reznik

Meaning: butcher.

1. Ryba

Meaning: fish or a fisherman.

1. Simon

Meaning: listen.

1. Skalicky

Meaning: rock.

1. Slovak

Meaning: from Slovakia.

1. Zima

Meaning: winter or a nickname for someone with a cold personality.