Lach (name)

'''Lach''' ({{small|Polish pronunciation}}: {{IPA|pol|ˈlax|pron}}), '''Lyakh''' or '''Ljach''' is a surname. It was used by East Slavs to refer to Poles.<ref name=Ancestry/> Ethnic Poles in Nowy Sącz (south-eastern Poland) also used the name, referring to themselves as ''Lachy Sądeckie''. According to Paweł Jasienica, it derives from the name of an ancient Polish tribe, the Lendians.<ref>{{citation |first= Paweł |last= Jasienica |authorlink= Paweł Jasienica |title= Polska Piastów |trans-title=Poland of the Piasts |language= Polish }}</ref> Due to population resettlements of ethnic Poles after the Soviet annexation of eastern Polish territories (see Kresy), it is slightly more frequent in western Poland. Over 10,000 people have this surname in Poland.<ref>[http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/lach.html Individuals with the surname Lach in Poland] {{in lang|pl}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ancestry.com/facts/Lach-family-history.ashx Lach Name Meaning and History] {{in lang|en}}</ref> In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Lach served as a short form of the personal name Ladislav.<ref name=Ancestry>{{cite web |url= https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=lach |title= Lach |website=ancestry.com }}</ref> It is also a variant of '''Lah''', a Slovene word for Vlachs.<ref name=Ancestry/>

Notable people with the name include: * Andrei Lyakh (born 1990), Russian footballer * Elmer Lach (1918–2015), Polish-Canadian ice hockey player * Günter Lach (1954–2021), German politicians * Juan Sebastian Lach (born 1970), Mexican composer

== See also == * Lech (name) * Polish name * Lendians

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lach (Name)}} Category:Polish-language surnames