Kovaleva last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kovaleva

A surname derived from the Russian word "kovalʹ" meaning "blacksmith" or "smith".

Kovaleva, 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 Kovaleva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kovaleva in America

Kovaleva is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kovaleva surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kovaleva.

The history of the last name Kovaleva

The surname Kovaleva has its origins in Russia, dating back to the early medieval period. It is a Russian patronymic surname derived from the masculine name Koval, which means "blacksmith" or "smith" in Russian. The name likely originated in regions where blacksmithing was a common occupation.

In the 14th century, a document from the Novgorod Republic mentions a blacksmith named Koval Fedorov, which could be one of the earliest recorded instances of the name. The name Kovalev, the masculine form of Kovaleva, appears in historical records from the 16th century, such as the Vologda cadastre of 1623.

The surname is also closely linked to the village of Kovalevo in the Tver region of Russia, which may have been named after an early settler or founder with the surname Kovalev or Kovaleva. This village is mentioned in records dating back to the 16th century.

One notable individual with the surname Kovaleva was Ekaterina Kovaleva (1809-1867), a Russian serf who became a renowned folk singer and performer. Her performances were highly praised by literary figures of the time, including Alexander Pushkin.

Another prominent figure was Antonina Kovaleva (1923-2015), a Soviet and Russian actress who appeared in over 50 films. She was awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1983.

In the world of sports, Tatyana Kovaleva (born 1976) is a former Russian basketball player who won a bronze medal with the Russian national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

The surname Kovaleva has also been associated with the Russian nobility. Yakov Kovalev (1719-1805) was a Russian nobleman and military officer who served as a general during the reign of Catherine the Great.

Lastly, Elizaveta Kovaleva (1851-1916) was a Russian painter and art educator who played a significant role in the development of Russian Impressionism in the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kovaleva

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

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 Kovaleva was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only98.11%104
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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.

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 Kovaleva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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