Sikora
A Slavic surname that likely began as a nickname from a word for the titmouse bird.
The #6,119 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,094 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sikora is a common Slavic surname built on a word meaning "titmouse" or a similar small bird. In Polish, sikora specifically means a titmouse, and the same root appears in other West and East Slavic languages with closely related bird names. As a surname, it most likely began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird in some way—small, lively, quick, or perhaps simply associated with a local nickname.
History
The surname is well established in Poland and neighboring Slavic-speaking areas, and it spread more widely through migration in the modern period. In the United States it appears among immigrant families from Poland and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Like many bird-based surnames, it is common enough to be familiar but not usually tied to one single family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the base word means a small songbird, Sikora belongs to a large European surname pattern that turns everyday animal nicknames into family names.