Pavlik
A Slavic surname that usually means “son of Pavel/Pavel” or “little Pavel.”
The #8,797 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,885 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pavlik is a Slavic surname built on the given name Pavel, the East and Central European form of Paul. The ending -ik is a common Slavic diminutive or patronymic element, so the name can mean “little Pavel” or, more broadly, “descendant of Pavel.” In effect, it is a surname formed from a father’s first name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The name is found across Slavic-speaking regions, especially in Czech, Slovak, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian contexts, with spelling shaped by local pronunciation and transliteration. Like many patronymic surnames, it became hereditary as naming systems stabilized in the modern period. In English-speaking countries, Pavlik is often carried by families who emigrated from Central or Eastern Europe.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The root name Pavel ultimately goes back to Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.”