what is the origin of the last name Hotarek?

Answer 1

I typed Horatek into the website at
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

and there was a lady named Theresia Horatek who was born about 1780 in Oberoesterreich, Austria.

There was also a family in the 1920 U.S. census who listed their birthplace as Galicia. If you aren't sure where that is, Galicia was a historical region which is currently divided between Poland and Ukraine. The name derives from the old capital of Halych (Galic) and the region is known in Ukrainian as Halychyna. This region is identical with the medieval kingdom of Halych-Volhynia. The family in the census was living in Price County, Wisconsin.

So, as you can see, there are a couple of possibilities. When you have a problem like this where there are more than one possibility, the only sure way to know is to start with yourself and work back person by person, generation by generation. In doing this, your individual lineage will reveal itself to you.

I know that it is not a quick answer, but if you do it, you know that it will be right! Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Without doing any research or knowing any historical context, it's impossible to know for sure, however, from a cursory look at what pops up in google, I think it's fair to say it's East European, probably Czech or Slovak.

Answer 3

I don't know the origin but try www.myheritage.com and post your surname