Frequency: (1021)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Czech and Slovak: nickname from straka ‘magpie’, probably for a thievish or insolent person.
2. possibly also from Greek Strakas: nickname for a dandy, from Greek straka, literally ‘crack of the whip’, used metaphorically to denote someone concerned to impress with his appearance.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
Dictionary of American Family Names. Copyright © 2006 Patrick Hanks. All rights reserved.
