What ethnicity is the last name Walak?

Question:

What ethnicity is the last name Walak?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Dangerous to guess just from a name...
a good surmise would be a variety of Wallach, certainly appearance amongst Lithuania to Austria and some Americans in MA... there is an Elizabeth Walak in Berkshire MA... They similarity to me may indicate such an original Jewish origin , with a germanisation of the same. Or a Polish alternate spelling of a similar name.
Update 1
Walaks arriving in North America were forenamed Abraham, Bruche, Chane, Josef and Yan (ancesorsonboard.com) which fits the former surmise for at least most US Walaks...these are v.v. few suggesting a minority name or else an alternate spelling...
Update 2
ha! some research suggests the Wallach surmise was right.. http://list.genealogy.net/mailman/archiv...

However aword of caution... other possibilities whose words transliterate to that spelling on the sound would be Lebanese or Indonesian...not sure I've seen those as a name though Source(s):
www.ancestorsonboard.com http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/f...
has some born in Austria, Germany and England:

International Genealogical Index - British Isles
6. ELIZ. WALAK - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Christening: 09 FEB 1701 Rylstone, Yorkshire, England

7. FRANCIS WALAK - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Male Christening: 09 FEB 1701 Rylstone, Yorkshire, England

Matches: International Genealogical Index/British Isles - 2

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International Genealogical Index - Continental Europe
8. Szepan Walak - International Genealogical Index / CE
Gender: Male Birth: , , Austria

Matches: International Genealogical Index/Continental Europe - 1

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International Genealogical Index - Germany
9. Anna Maria Walak - International Genealogical Index / GE
Gender: Female Birth: 29 MAR 1800 Klein Gnie, Gerdauen, Ostpreussen, Preussen

10. Friederia Wilhelmine Walak - International Genealogical Index / GE
Gender: Female Birth: 14 AUG 1802 Klein Gnie, Gerdauen, Ostpreussen, Preussen

Matches: International Genealogical Index/Germany - 2 Ancestry.Com shows only 1 Walak immigrant and he gave his place of origin as Russia. That doesn't tell you much

I looked at New York Passenger lists where people stated that came from. I see Austrian, Polish, Slovakian, Ruthenian, Irish,
Galician. Most were Polish.

I would guess Polish. Until after WW I, Poland was divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria.

The same surname can come from more than one nationality. You've gotten a lot of leads, but I'd through a few more possibilities for you to consider. Both Austria and Prussia controlled Poland in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. It's very possible that the name is Polish and from either West Prussia or Galicia. If so, its original spelling was probably Wlock.

It's a very common Polish name and wouldn't be horrible to trace. If you follow the family tree back through basic research, I'd venture to guess you'll find your immigrant ancestors came over in the 1870s-1890s. If so, you're in the right ballpark for Polish emigration. The earlier they came, the more likely they were Prussian (German) Poles. The later they came, the more likely they were Galician (Austrian) Poles.