Surname Hawlicek - Meaning and Origin

Hawlicek: What does the surname Hawlicek mean?

The last name Hawlicek is a Czech surname of Slavic origin. It is derived from the Czech word “havlice” or “havlet”, meaning a small enclosure or corral for livestock. The name may have once been a topographic name for someone who lived or worked in a small enclosure, or it could have referred to a profession such as a shepherd. Today, Hawlicek is a relatively common Czech surname.

The first known mention of the Hawlicek family is from 1595 in the form “Havlicek”, when they were noted owning a farmstead in the town of Mlazovice in South Moravia. By 1770, the Hawliceks had spread to the “Duchy of Silesia”, an area of what is now western Poland.

Since then, holders of the Hawlicek name have spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Today, it is found in many countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, and even the United States.

Although Hawlicek is a relatively common last name, it is also a very unique name that has an interesting history. It represents the perseverance and determination of immigrants who centuries ago left their home in search of a better life. Despite the distance and the different cultures they experienced, the Hawlicek family has remained linked through its shared surname.

Hawlicek: Where does the name Hawlicek come from?

The Hawlicek surname is most prevalent today in the Czech Republic, Austria, and adjoining European countries. According to a 2010 survey by the Czech Statistical Office, the Hawlicek surname is the 600th most common surname in the Czech Republic. It is also the 16,257th most common surname in Austria, and the 2,845th most popular in Germany.

The Hawlicek surname has its roots in Central Europe, and is derived from the name ‘halochond’ or ‘halosek’, which mean ‘hero’ or ‘warrior’ in Czech. It likely developed in the medieval period as a marker of noble status, as people of noble birth were often given names with a heroic connotation. The designation probably spread through Central Europe as dynasties formed, weakened, and re-formed over time.

The Hawlicek family is known to have been recorded in the town of Stranovice in East Bohemia in the 18th century. It subsequently spread to other parts of the Czech Lands, including Munich, in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result, the Hawlicek surname is also found in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, which accepted a large number of Czech immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Hawlicek surname today is associated with people of Czech and Austrian heritage, although people of other heritage can also bear this name. It is often used as a marker of Central European identity, but is unique enough to set a family with an interesting and distinctive legacy apart from others.

Variations of the surname Hawlicek

The surname Hawlicek has several variants, spellings and associated surnames that originate from the same root name. The most common forms are Hawliczek, Hawliczka, Hawelek, Hawlek, Hawlik, Howlik, and Howelek.

Hawlicek is most likely of Czech origins deriving from an old Czech expression “havlíček" meaning "small old man” or “serf”. It is primarily found in the areas of Moravia and Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. Typically, Hawlicek is an occupational name that was given to those who worked as a tenant farmer or a “peasant” in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Hawlik or Håvlik variation is believed to have originated in Prussia and changed from Hawlik to Havlik in the 19th century due to a writing system reform or in the post-WWII era during the German occupation of the Czech Republic.

Other variations of the Hawlicek surname found in Europe include Havlicek occurring mainly in Austria, and Hawlicsek in Hungary. In the United States, many bearers of the Hawlicek name have modified their ancestral name by changing the spelling to Haulek, Hawlik, or Hawlikowski as well as using theprefix "ha" for Hawlik or Hawlicek.

Wherever the bearer finds themselves in the world today, Hawlicek is a name steeped in old country tradition. It is a testament to the generations of farmers, peons and laborers who settled the Czech lands and created a new life for generations to come in a foreign land.

Famous people with the name Hawlicek

• Jiri Hawlicek: Jiri was an athlete from Czechoslovakia who won an Olympic Gold medal in men’s discus at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He was the flag bearer for Czechoslovakia at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
• Miroslav Hawlicek: Miroslav was a basketball player from Czechoslovakia who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal.
• Jiří Hawlíček: Jiří Hawlíček was a Czechoslovakian politician who served in the Chamber of the Czech National Council from 1946 to 1968.
• Sándor Hawlíček: Sándor Hawlíček was a Hungarian engineer and technical innovator who made several important contributions to the automotive industry.
• Jana Hawlíčková: Jana Hawlíčková is a Czech chess player who won the Czech women's championship twice in 2004 and 2013.
• Zbynek Hawlicek: Zbynek Hawlicek is an ice hockey defenceman currently playing in the Czech Extraliga for HC Ocelari Trinec.
• Slávek Hawlíček: Slávek Hawlíček is a former Czechoslovak ice hockey player who represented his country in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
• Miroslava Hawlíčková: Miroslava Hawlíčková is a Czech swimmer who competed in the women's 800 metre freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
• Petr Hawlicek: Petr Hawlicek is an author, anthropologist and successful businessman who works for the strategic centric consultancy firm Mek Do Group.

Other surnames

HawliceckHawliczek