Smolka Family History

Polish (mainly Smołka): metonymic occupational name for someone who gathered natural resins from pines and firs from smołka ‘resin’. Alternatively, it may be an occupational name for a distiller of pitch from a derivative of smoła ‘pitch tar’. See also Smola.

Czech and Slovak: from a derivative of smola ‘resin pitch’ figuratively ‘bad luck’ used as an occupational name or as a nickname (see Smola).

Sorbian (Smółka and Smołka): occupational name from a diminutive of Lower Sorbian smóła Upper Sorbian smoła ‘resin pitch’.

German: of Slavic origin (see above).