Surname Gregorek - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'G'
Gregorek: What does the surname Gregorek mean?
The surname Gregorek is of Slavic origin, and is derived from the given name Gregory. The name Gregory is a diminutive of Gregorius, which is derived from the Greek name "Gregorios" meaning "watchful, vigilant" or "to be awake". This name itself is derived from the Ancient Greek word "egeirein", meaning "to awaken".
The popularity of the surname Gregorek was likely due to St. Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church, who is credited with devising the Nicene Creed used in the liturgy of many Christian churches. Over time, the given name became popular among more people and the surname became a common surname in many countries.
Today, the surname Gregorek is found in countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Russia. The name can also be seen in Germanized spelling variations such as Gregoreck or Gregorak.
Overall, the surname Gregorek reflects the long-viewed admiration of St. Gregory of Nazianzus and the eternal religious devotion associated with his name.
Order DNA origin analysisGregorek: Where does the name Gregorek come from?
The last name Gregorek is generally thought to be of Polish or Czech origins, and as such it is common in those two countries. It is especially prevalent throughout the Czech region of Moravia, especially near the city of Brno in the South Moravian region. It is also quite common in certain parts of Poland, particularly in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, simple known as Lesser Poland. Lesser Poland borders both Slovakia and Ukraine and is the birthplace of many of the country's earliest settlement.
In the United States, the name Gregorek is most common in Pennsylvania and New York, as many individuals of Polish and Czech heritage have settled in these states. In the 2010 US Census, Gregorek was found to be the 1674th most common surname in the US.
The last name Gregorek is actually fairly common in other parts of the world as well. In Australia, families of Polish and Czech heritage have also settled in this country, making the Gregorek name common in certain areas, particularly in South Australia. Additionally, there are plenty of Gregoreks living in countries ranging from Canada to the United Kingdom, as well as South Africa and other nations.
In conclusion, the last name Gregorek is common in Poland, Czech Republic, parts of the United States , Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.
Variations of the surname Gregorek
Gregorek is a surname of Polish and Slovak origin. It is derived from the personal name Gregor, meaning "watchful" or "alert". Variant spellings and surnames of the same origin include:
* Gregorak (Polish)
* Grigorak (Polish)
* Gregrilak (Polish)
* Grigorek (Polish)
* Gregorek (Polish and Slovak)
* Gregorcek (Polish and Slovak)
* Gregoriak (Slovak)
* Grigocek (Slovak)
* Gregrilcik (Slovak)
* Grigorec (Slovak)
* Grigorejkov (Slovak)
The Polish spelling of Gregorek is typically pronounced with the first “g” sounding like a “g” in “go” and with a soft “k” at the end, while the Slovak spelling is pronounced with the first “g” sounding like a “g” in “guest” and with a hard “k” at the end.
The surname is also taken from the given name Richard (in some countries spelled as Ricard) and can appear as Gregorekowicz, Gregorekiewicz, Gregorekiewicz-Gorszowski, Gregorek-Korwin, Gregorek-Kornilowicz, Gregorek-Górczynski or Gregorek-Gospodarczuk. These family names were most commonly associated with nobility in the 16th century and other members of the clergy.
In some cases, Gregorek is also linked to a location of residence, appearing as Gregorek-Czarny, Gregorek-Bytowska Góra, Gregorek-Olsztyn, Gregorek-Kępno, Gregorek-Radomysl, Gregorek-Radom and Gregorek-Ostroda.
It is also important to note that the Polish and Slovak spelling of the surname are not interchangeable and should be used accordingly in genealogy research.
Famous people with the name Gregorek
- Mariusz Gregorek: a former Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion in the 400m hurdles.
- John Gregorek: an American track and field athlete, who competed in the 3000m and 5000m.
- Mike Gregorek: a US Olympic team member who competed in the 4x400m relay event.
- Krystyna Gregorek: a Polish long-distance running athlete, a finalist in the Women’s 5000m in the 1999 World Championships.
- Alan Gregorek: a former US distance runner who held a variety of national age-group records in the 800m.
- Emil Gregorek: a Polish hammer thrower and Olympic bronze medalist.
- Andrzej Gregorek: a Polish sprint canoer and Olympic medalist.
- Divine Gregorek: a Canadian track and field athlete and Pan American Medalist.
- Joe Gregorek: an American rower who won the notable Coolridge Cup.
- Tom Gregorek: a former UK athlete and Indoor British record holder in the 800m.