Pawlak
A Polish surname most likely built from the given name Paweł, meaning in effect “son or descendant of Paul.”
The #8,019 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,811 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pawlak is a Polish surname formed from the personal name Paweł, the Polish form of Paul, which ultimately comes from Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.” The suffix -ak is a common Polish surname-forming ending and often indicates relation, descent, or association. In this case, the name is generally understood as “Paweł’s son/descendant” or “one associated with Paweł.”
History
The surname is strongly associated with Poland and Polish-speaking communities, and it appears in the wider diaspora through emigration to North America and elsewhere. Like many Polish surnames, it likely arose independently in more than one place from a personal-name base rather than from a single ancestral family. It remains most common in Poland and among people of Polish heritage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -ak is one of several very common Polish surname endings, so Pawlak is a good example of how many Polish surnames began as simple family-name labels built from a given name.