I would like information on the origin of the Ukrainian surname Kozak.
(people, dates, significance, geographic location, ect.) Please
provide some information on how that name traveled through history.

Hello keshro-ga,

Kozak is a reasonably common surname, judging from genealogy sites. 
Moreover, the name has an interesting history.  The Ukrainian word is
a basis for the English word "cossack", defined as: "A member of a
people of southern European Russia and adjacent parts of Asia, noted
as cavalrymen especially during czarist times."

"Cossack" (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:
Fourth Edition, 2000)
Bartleby.com
http://www.bartleby.com/61/15/C0671500.html

Here is a history of the Kozaks/Cossacks from a Ukranian point of
view.  This page provides a significant amount of information on
people, dates, significance, geographic location, etc.  (If you are
interested, I can also provide links to pages on the sad history of
Cossack attacks on Jews.)

"Cossacks"
Encyclopedia of Ukraine
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/C/O/Cossacks.htm

My impression is that the Kozak name spread well beyond the primary
locations of the Cossacks even during the time of the Cossacks.  You
might be interested in the postings for the Kozak surname on genealogy
forums -- and you might like to contribute a message yourself.

"Boards > Surnames > Kozak"
Ancestry
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/surnames.kozak

"Kozak Family Genealogy Forum"
Genforum
http://genforum.genealogy.com/kozak/

"KOZAK Genealogy Queries"
CousinConnect
http://www.cousinconnect.com/p/a/0/s/KOZAK/

I hope that this information is helpful.

- justaskscott-ga


Search terms used on Google:

kozak genealogy
kozak cossack

[I also searched for Kozak forums on genealogy sites.]

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Request for Answer Clarification by keshro-ga on 17 Jun 2003 08:28 PDT

Re: "If you are interested, I can also provide links to pages on the
sad history of Cossack attacks on Jews."

I am interested in this information. Thank you.

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Clarification of Answer by justaskscott-ga on 17 Jun 2003 10:18 PDT

Here are three pages that relate to this topic:

"Cossacks' Uprising", by Herman Rosenthal
JewishEncyclopedia.com
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=808&letter=C

"Bohdan Chmielnicki"
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohdan_Chmielnicki

"Russia. Terek Cossacks: Are they at risk for persecution?" (5 August
1999)
American Immigration Law Center
http://www.ailc.com/services/asylum/ric/documentation/RUS99001.htm

As indicated in the initial answer, the name Kozak and the group
called Cossacks are not identical.  Certainly no one should think
badly of the name Kozak just because some Cossacks perpetrated attacks
on Jews.