Michalak
A Polish surname meaning “son of Michał” or “little Michał,” from the personal name Michael.
The #8,320 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,516 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Michalak is a Polish surname built from the personal name Michał, the Polish form of Michael. The ending -ak is a common Polish surname suffix, often used to form patronymic names or affectionate diminutives, so the name can mean “son of Michał” or “descendant of Michał.” Ultimately, Michael comes from the Hebrew Mikha’el, meaning “Who is like God?”
History
This is a fairly typical Polish hereditary surname and is most common in Poland and in Polish diaspora communities. Like many Polish surnames, it likely began as a nickname or identifying patronymic and later became fixed as a family name. It may appear in slightly different forms depending on spelling traditions in different countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the root name Michael was so widespread in Christian Europe, surnames built from it are found in many different languages, but the Polish suffix -ak gives Michalak a distinctly Polish shape.