Surname Novag - Meaning and Origin
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Novag: What does the surname Novag mean?
The last name Novag is derived from the Hebrew word "naveh" meaning "beautiful resting place". It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who owned or lived on a pleasant homestead.
The surname Novag is also connected to the Latin word "novus" meaning new, as Novag was often used in Latin-based cultures to denote a new event or migration—some even suggesting it was taken on by those newcomers who wished to move away from their present circumstances and discover a life anew.
The name increasingly became popularized in European countries during the early 1700s, typically associated with those families of newfound wealth who were seeking to establish a new identity. One reputable example of a Novag is artist and engraver Johann Valentin Novag of Austria, whose works of sublime copper designs and depictions of famous events of the time, are still celebrated to this day.
Today, the surname Novag is still widely present across Europe, particularly in Russia, Serbia, Croatia, and Israel. Despite its various roots and uses, it is most often connected with people of warm and hospitable temperament, who value modesty, patience, and comfort above all else.
Order DNA origin analysisNovag: Where does the name Novag come from?
The last name Novag is most commonly found in the Middle Eastern region of the world, particularly Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Records from the nineteenth century reveal that the Novag family originally lived in Iraq, though some can be found in neighboring countries. In the present day, there are multiple Novags living throughout the Middle East.
In the United States, Novag is an uncommon surname, with less than 10 families living in the nation. The majority of these families are found primarily in California, New York, and Massachusetts, with the largest cluster of Novags being found in New York. The US is home to multiple first and second-generation immigrants from the Middle East, so it's likely that the US Novags are direct descendants of families that left the region in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
Novag is a rare name worldwide, with only a few hundred living individuals worldwide. Its unique origin and distribution make it an interesting name to trace, as it provides insights into multiple facets of human history.
Variations of the surname Novag
The surname Novag is primarily found in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. It can appear in different variants and spellings, including Novagg, Novak, and Novack, as well as Novagu, Novaji, Novaya, Novaga, Novakos, Noségu, and Novaho, in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.
Novagg is derived from the German personal name Neubourg (New Castle) or the Jewish personal name Neubauer (New Farmer). Similarly, the Novak version is derived from the German, Czech, and Slovak versions of Neubauer (Neubauer, Novak).
Novaga is an altered spelling of the Italian name of the Neubauer family, Novagio, derived from the town and castle of Novagio in Lombardy. Novakos is a Greek rendition of the Jewish surname Neubauer and Novaho is derived from Novagio.
The Novaya variant is an Eastern European equivalent of Novag. Noségu is a Basque version of Neubauer, derived from its spelling dubbed “nouseg” in Basque. Novaji is a Spanish-language rendering of Novaga or Novagio.
Novag is an uncommon or rare surname, but it has long been established in countries where its variants are found. So if you are a Novag or know someone with this surname, chances are there are others who share the origin or variant of the same surname.
Famous people with the name Novag
- Dmitry Novag: Russian scientist, poet and author of books about relativity and space-time.
- Josip Novag: Croatian sculptor in the Modernist and Expressionist movements
- Ljuba Novag: Serbian basketball player who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics
- Paul Novag: American voiceover actor, best known for voicing another character in the 2004 animated film Shark Tale
- Emily Novag: British architect and urban planner
- Laura Novag: Brazilian land artist who works in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, performance, and photography
- Bob Novag: American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
- Michael Novag: Australian musician, producer and songwriter
- Mark Novag: British journalist and conservationist who wrote extensively about mountain climbing
- Nastassja Novag: Russian actress best known for her roles in the films White Nights and The Love Letter