Surname Owczarczak - Meaning and Origin

Owczarczak: What does the surname Owczarczak mean?

The last name Owczarczak is of Polish origin and is derived from the Polish word “owczarek” which translates to “shepherd” in English. The name was likely given to someone who was in the occupation of shepherding animals.

The use of the suffix “-czyk” in the name may signify a diminutive, indicating that the person so-named was small or of a humble nature. Alternately, the suffix could signify a patronym, indicating that the person was the son or descendant of someone with the name Owczar.

The sheep-herding occupation of the persons so-named was not an easy one. A shepherd was responsible for caring for the animals, moving them through different areas of land for grazing, and protecting them from the many predators and enemies who sought to take them.

In modern times, the name Owczarczak is still used, although it is now more commonly found among the many Polish immigrants who have resettled around the world. It is also used to indicate the familial pride those with the name have in the profession of shepherding.

Owczarczak: Where does the name Owczarczak come from?

The last name Owczarczak is an uncommon to rare surname, originating from Eastern Europe, mainly Poland. It is believed to be derived from two Polish words: “owca,” meaning “sheep” and “czarczak” meaning “peasant.” This suggests that this surname would have been adopted by a family, with its roots in the rural sheep-keeping lifestyle typical of Eastern Europe.

The surname is mostly found in Poland today. Poland’s population of over 38 million, according to estimates made in 2020, means that even for a rare name, there will be a lot of people with the surname Owczarczak. Its highest numbers of occurrences can be found in cities such as Warsaw, Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, and Szczecin. However, the actual number of people with this name is comparatively low, with an estimated 200-500 records worldwide.

Additionally, the surname Owczarczak is also found in countries that are home to sizable Polish populations, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Most of these records also point to Polish-origin ancestors.

Overall, the surname Owczarczak is a rare to uncommon last name. It is especially associated with Poland and has reasonable numbers of occurrences in several countries with sizable Polish populations.

Variations of the surname Owczarczak

The surname Owczarczak can be found in various forms across the world and throughout history. In Poland, the most common spelling is Owczarczyk, however other variants include Owczarski, Owczarzak, Owczarczyck, and Owczarczuk. These spellings can be attributed to the similarity between Polish letters, which can give the same sound but be written out differently, as well as regional differences.

In Germany, the surname Owczarczak is more commonly seen in the form of Otzarski, Owczarsky, and Owsarsky. In some cases, both Otzarski and Owczarsky have additional spellings in the form of Owczarsky and Owczarski. The ‘-sky’ or ‘-ski’ suffixes are also popular in Lithuania, where the surname is written Owczesky, Owczarsky, and Owczarski. The reign of the Austrian Hapsburgs also left its influence, with the surname Owczarczak being written as Owsarzak in Hungary and Owczarczuk in Austria.

In the United States, both Owczarczak and Owczarski are present, with the latter being the more popular variant. The ‘-ski’ suffix became phonetically simplified to ‘-ski’ following immigration to the US, hence the difference in spelling. It is likely the names Owczarczak and Owczarski, regardless of spelling, share a common origin.

In Canada, the surname is written Owczarczak, Owczarsky, and Owczarski, with Owczarczak being the most common. In South America, Owczarczak appears as Owczarzak and Owczarczyk, while Owczarski appears as Owczarzki.

At its root, the surname Owczarczak derives from the Polish word ‘owca’, meaning ‘sheep’. This is why many of the variants of the surname share the prefix ‘owcz’ or ‘otz’, derived from the words ‘owca’ or ‘otz’, meaning ‘sheep’. This is further substantiated by the fact that many of the variants of the surname appear in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where the word for ‘sheep’ is ‘ovce’.

Famous people with the name Owczarczak

• Marcin Owczarczak: Polish professional football player known for playing midfield for clubs such as Wisła Kraków and Arka Gdynia.
• Wojciech Owczarczak: 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in men's land sailing.
• Boris Owczarczak: film director, known for films like The Terror Within, and Dust of Angels.
• Tatiana Owczarczak: Executive Director of the United Nations based in Vienna.
• Juliusz Owczarczak: Polish football player who is currently signed to Bełchatów.
• Kacper Owczarczak: Polish professional footballer known for playing as central midfielder for clubs such Wisła Płock and Wisła Kraków.
• Krystian Owczarczak: Polish football forward who currently plays for Radomiak Radom.
• Przemyslaw Owczarczak: Polish footballer who plays as defender for Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza.
• Iwona Owczarczak: former professional tennis player from Poland.
• Jarosław Owczarczak: independent filmmaker and artist from Poland.
• Andrzej Owczarczak: Olympian judoka from Poland.
• Anna Owczarczak: public relations mobel from Poland.
• Bartłomiej Owczarczak: Polish professional footballer who currently plays as goalkeeper for Znicz Pruszków.
• Karolina Owczarczak: Polish professional racing cyclist.
• Piotr Owczarczak: Polish animator.

Other surnames

Owczarczyk