Find out how popular the last name Koval is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Koval.

Koval, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Koval surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koval in America

Koval is the 6912th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koval surname appeared 4,855 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Koval.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koval to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Koval

The surname Koval originated in Eastern Europe, primarily in Ukraine, Belarus, and parts of Russia. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "koval," which means "blacksmith" or "metalworker." This occupational surname likely emerged during the medieval period when surnames began to gain prominence.

The name Koval can be traced back to the 15th century in various historical records and documents. For instance, the name appears in the Metryka Litewska, a collection of administrative records from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which covered parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Koval was Petro Koval, a blacksmith who lived in the village of Kozelets, near Chernihiv, Ukraine, in the late 15th century. His name is mentioned in the Litovskaya Metrika, a collection of legal documents from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

In the 16th century, the name Koval was also found in the Akty Zapadnoy Rossii, a collection of historical documents from Western Russia. One notable mention is of Ivan Koval, a metalworker from the town of Smolensk, who was involved in the construction of a local church in the 1540s.

The surname Koval has been associated with various place names throughout Eastern Europe. For example, the village of Kovalivka in Ukraine is believed to have derived its name from the presence of blacksmiths or metalworkers in the area.

Several notable individuals with the surname Koval have made significant contributions throughout history. One such figure is Mykola Koval (1898-1978), a Ukrainian painter and art educator who played a crucial role in the development of modern Ukrainian art.

Another prominent individual is Yuri Koval (1938-2003), a Soviet and Russian actor known for his roles in numerous films and television shows. He was awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation in 1992.

In the field of literature, Vasyl Koval (1921-2005) was a renowned Ukrainian writer and poet. He authored numerous works, including novels, poetry collections, and children's books, and received various literary awards for his contributions.

In the realm of sports, Olha Koval (born 1973) is a Ukrainian former professional tennis player who achieved notable success in the 1990s and early 2000s. She won three singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of No. 20 in the world.

Lastly, Volodymyr Koval (1942-2003) was a prominent Ukrainian politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1992 to 1994 during a critical period of the country's transition to independence and market reforms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koval

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Koval.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Koval was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Koval has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Koval was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Koval, please contact us.

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