Given name & surname
Novak
“a newcomer”
Novak is used as a given name and a surname. One Czech interpretation is “a newcomer.”
Original CzechNovák
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Czech interpretation is “a newcomer.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Czech.
How it developed
In English usage, Novak developed from Novák.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2008. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Novak through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 384
- 384 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 32 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #3,730 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +35%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,730 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 285 as a first name in 2020; 33,606 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Novak’s family of names
In English usage, Novak developed from the Czech form Novák. Novak has a related form in Novac. Novak has a related form in Novack.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Novak has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Czech roots to each of them.
Czechwhere Novak comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Novak
- Novak DjokovicSerbian tennis player (born 1987)
- Novak TomićSerbian footballer (1936-2003)
- Novak RoganovićSerbian footballer (1932–2008)
- Novak RadonićSerbian painter (1826-1890)
- Novak MartinovićSerbian footballerborn 1985
- Novak BoškovićSerbian handball player1989–2019
- Novak MićovićSerbian footballerborn 2001
- Novak KilibardaMontenegrin politician1934–2023
- Novak MusićSerbian basketball player (born 1998)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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