2000
#66,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 279
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Kovalev
A Russian occupational surname derived from the word "koval" meaning "blacksmith."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 639 Americans carry the last name Kovalev. That puts it at #42,002 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 536,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kovalev surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
639
1 in 536,392
Census rank
#42,002
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
557
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 557 bearers of the surname Kovalev in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42002nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovalev, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kovalev
The surname Kovalev is of Russian origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Koval, which means "blacksmith" in Russian. The name Kovalev itself means "son of a blacksmith."
In medieval Russia, blacksmiths were highly respected craftsmen, and their profession was often passed down from father to son. As a result, the surname Kovalev became associated with families engaged in the blacksmithing trade.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Kovalev can be found in the Pistsovye Knigi (Census Books) of the 16th and 17th centuries, which were used to record the population and land ownership in various regions of Russia.
During the 18th century, the surname Kovalev became more widespread as the Russian Empire expanded and families with this name settled in different parts of the country. Some notable individuals bearing the surname Kovalev from this period include Ivan Kovalev (1731-1795), a Russian navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Aleutian Islands and the Alaskan coast.
In the 19th century, the surname Kovalev continued to be prominent, particularly among the nobility and military ranks. One notable figure was Yegor Kovalev (1809-1868), a Russian general who participated in the Crimean War and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
The 20th century saw several prominent Kovalevs in various fields, such as Sergey Kovalev (1919-2000), a Soviet and Russian philosopher and academic who specialized in ethics and social philosophy. Another notable figure was Andrey Kovalev (1923-2001), a Soviet and Russian actor who appeared in numerous films and stage productions.
In the field of sports, the surname Kovalev has also been well-represented, with individuals like Alexei Kovalev (born 1973), a former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams, including the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens.
Overall, the surname Kovalev has a rich history rooted in the blacksmithing tradition of medieval Russia and has been associated with notable figures in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kovalev
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovalev, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kovalev bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kovalev surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 542
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 9
- Two or more races0.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kovalev
Kovalev appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#44,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 483
+204 bearers (+73.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 21,774 places
2020
#42,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 557
+74 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,274 | 279 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,500 | 483 | 0.16 | +204 bearers (+73.1%) | Up 21,774 places |
| 2020 | #42,002 | 557 | 0.19 | +74 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 2,498 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kovalev surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44,500 | #42,002 | 5.6% |
| Count | 483 | 557 | 15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.19 | 16.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kovalev bearers went from 483 to 557 (+15.3% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,500 to #42,002.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kovalev
FAQ
Kovalev surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kovalev?
Name Census estimates that about 639 living Americans carry the surname Kovalev. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 536,392 residents.
How common is Kovalev?
Kovalev ranks #42,002 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 557 people with the surname Kovalev. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (639), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kovalev.
Has Kovalev become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kovalev went from 483 recorded bearers to 557. That is an increase of 74 (+15.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,500 to #42,002.
What does the Census say about the background of Kovalev?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovalev, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kovalev in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kovalev appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Hispanic (1.6%), Two or More Races (0.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kovalev (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kovalev mean?
A Russian occupational surname derived from the word "koval" meaning "blacksmith." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kovalev (0.19 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Kovalev?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.