Polak : 1: Polish and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Czech Slovak and Hungarian (Polák Slovak also Poľák): ethnic name for someone from Poland (Polish Polak Slovak archaic and Czech Polák). In the case of the Ashkenazic name the reference is to a Jew from Poland. This surname is also found in Germany where it is also of Sorbian origin (see 3 below) and in the Netherlands. Compare Poliak Poljak and Polyak.2: Slovenian and Croatian: topographic name for someone who lived in open country derived from polje ‘field’ or a habitational name for someone from any of numerous places called Polje named with this word. It may also be e.g. an occupational name for a field guard (see Poljak).3: Sorbian (also Pólak): topographic name derived from Lower Sorbian pólo Upper Sorbian polo ‘field’ (compare 2 above). In some cases also an ethnic name for a Pole (compare 1 above) from Lower Sorbian Pólak Upper Sorbian Polak.4: Possibly also an Americanized form of Croatian Serbian Slovenian and Slovak Poljak. Compare Polack and Pollak.
Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
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