Zając
A Polish surname meaning “hare,” originally a nickname for someone thought to be quick or shy.
The #6,444 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,585 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Zając is the Polish word for “hare.” As a surname, it most likely began as a nickname for someone associated with the animal in some way, especially someone seen as swift, timid, or alert. In Slavic naming traditions, animal-based nicknames were common and often became hereditary surnames.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Poland and Polish-speaking communities, and it appears in several spelling forms once transliterated into Latin alphabets without Polish diacritics. In diaspora records, the name is often written as Zajac, dropping the ogonek from ą. Because the word is ordinary and widely used, the surname likely arose independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Polish, zając still means a hare today, so the surname is instantly recognizable as a word-name rather than a place-name.