Rising since 2008, #3,658 for boys today.
Popularity of Novak since 2008
Babies named Novak per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 18 |
| 2010s | 207 |
| 2020s | 159 |
Meaning & origin
Novak is a Slavic surname turned given name, meaning 'new man'. In the U.S., it first appeared on the records in 2008 and has been steadily rising in use. By 2025, it ranked 3,658, with about 1 in 57,000 boys receiving the name. Its peak year was 2023, reflecting growing awareness possibly linked to tennis star Novak Djokovic. The name is most popular in Texas, one of its top states. With its strong consonant ending and cross-cultural appeal, Novak fits a modern trend of surname names while remaining distinctive.
Novak derives from the Slavic root 'nov-' meaning 'new', combined with the suffix '-ak', which often denotes a person associated with a characteristic. It originally functioned as a surname for a newcomer or stranger in a community. In South Slavic regions, it has also been used as a given name, notably in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. The name gained broader recognition through the tennis champion Novak Djokovic.
Where Novak is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Novak” around the world
Where Novak lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Quebec
7
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Noke, Novi
Variants: Nowak
Sibling names for Novak
Names that share Novak's style, for a brother or sister.
