Kolar
A Central and Eastern European surname usually linked to a maker of wheels or wagons.
The #7,532 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,963 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kolar is a Slavic occupational surname, most commonly explained as referring to a wheelwright or wagon-maker. It is connected to Slavic words for a wheel or cart-maker, ultimately from the root seen in words like Czech and Slovak "kolo" meaning "wheel." In some regions the form may also have been influenced by German occupational naming patterns, but the main sense is straightforwardly occupational.
History
The surname is especially at home in the former Habsburg and broader Slavic-speaking regions of Central Europe, where hereditary surnames often grew out of trades. It was carried to North America by immigrants from Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian, and other Central European communities, which helps explain its presence in the modern U.S. census. Related forms and spellings can vary by language and local orthography.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In several Slavic languages, the same wheel-related root also appears in everyday words for things round or circular, which is why the trade name feels especially natural.