Pasternak is a surname that derives from the Slavic word for "parsnip" (Pastinaca sativa), common in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Hungarian, and Yiddish. The name ultimately comes from Latin pastinaca. The spelling variant Pasternack is associated with Yiddish-speaking communities.
Famous bearers include Boris Pasternak (1890–1960), the Russian-Soviet poet and novelist best known for his epic novel Doctor Zhivago, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958. Other notable individuals: Anne Pasternak (born 1964), an American art critic; Ben Pasternak, Australian entrepreneur; Harley Pasternak, Canadian-American personal trainer; and Igor Pasternak, a Soviet-born airship designer.
The name is also found in anglicized forms and as a transliteration of the Cyrillic spelling Пастернак, common in East European Jewish (Ashkenazi) communities.
- Meaning: 'parsnip'
- Origin: Slavic (from Latin pastinaca)
- Type: Surname
- Usage regions: Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, and among Yiddish speakers
Variants
Sources: Wikipedia — Pasternak