Skip to main content

Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Czech and Slovak (Dráb) : occupational name from Czech dráb, which originally meant a foot soldier, but also came to denote a servant or retainer, especially an overseer of workers on an estate.
  • Polish : nickname from drab ‘mercenary’; later ‘tall, strapping fellow’, and finally ‘ruffian’. Etymologically, this is the same word as in 1, but the sense development has been very different.
  • Slovenian : unexplained.

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe