Sárközi

Etymology

Sárközi is a Hungarian toponymic surname, originally indicating someone from the region of Sárköz in Hungary. The name Sárköz is itself derived from the Hungarian words sár meaning "mud" and köz meaning "margin, lane" or "area between". Thus, Sárközi literally means "from Sárköz".

Notable Bearers

The surname is most famously borne by the family of Nicolas Sarkozy (born 1955), the French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. His father, Pál Nagy, was a Hungarian nobleman who changed his surname to the Hungarian version Sárközy (a variant) during World War II. Other relatives include Nicolas's half-brother Olivier Sarkozy, a businessman, and his sons Jean Sarkozy (politician) and Pierre Sarkozy, but primarily his ex-wife Cécilia Attias (formerly Sarkozy) and current wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (the singer and model). In the academic domain, notable bearers include Hungarian mathematician András Sárközy and Hungarian-American mathematician Gábor N. Sárközy. Also known is Gabor Sarkøzy (alternatively Gábor Sárközy, 1945–2008), a Hungarian-Norwegian pornographic actor and director. The bearer list is expanded by Gergely Sárközy, a notable modern athlete whose sport is basketball.

Variants and Distribution

Variants of the surname include Sarkozi, Sárközy, and Sarkozy (the last being the form via French spelling, popularized by the French presidential family). The root name element Sárköz refers to the historic geographic region consisting of several villages in Transdanubia, Hungary. The surname is most common in Hungary but has spread internationally, especially to France and the United States, partly due to emigration and the renown of Nicolas Sarkozy.

• Meaning: "from Sárköz" (mud + margin)
• Origin: Hungarian toponymic surname
• Type: Geographic, nobility-linked for some lines
• Usage regions: Hungary, also France and United States