2000
#11,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,424
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Kovar
A Czech occupational surname referring to a metalworker, blacksmith, or locksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,783 Americans carry the last name Kovar. That puts it at #12,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,160 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kovar 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
2.8K
1 in 123,160
Census rank
#12,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,427 bearers of the surname Kovar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kovar
The surname Kovar originated in the Czech Republic, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "kovář," meaning "blacksmith" or "metalworker." This occupational surname was given to individuals or families engaged in metalworking professions, reflecting their trade and livelihood.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kovar can be traced back to medieval Czech records and documents. One notable mention is found in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Cheb (now part of the Czech Republic), where a certain "Petrus Kovar" is listed among the townspeople.
In the 15th century, the Kovar surname appeared in the records of the city of Brno, with a mention of a "Jan Kovar" in a legal document from 1472. This suggests that the name had already been well-established in various regions of the Czech lands by that time.
During the 16th century, the name Kovar began to spread beyond the Czech borders as people migrated to neighboring regions. In 1537, a "Hans Kovar" is recorded as a resident of the town of Görlitz, located in what is now eastern Germany, near the Czech border.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kovar was Jan Kovar, a prominent Czech blacksmith who lived in the city of Prague in the late 15th century. His work can still be seen in the intricate metalwork adorning the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
Another notable figure was Václav Kovar, a Czech painter and engraver who lived from 1503 to 1579. His works, particularly his religious paintings and engravings, can be found in several churches and galleries across the Czech Republic.
In the 17th century, the Kovar surname gained recognition through the accomplishments of Jiří Kovar, a Czech astronomer and mathematician born in 1638. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is credited with improving the accuracy of astronomical calculations.
The 18th century saw the rise of Jan Nepomuk Kovar, a renowned Czech architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Prague, including the Church of St. Nicholas on Malá Strana.
As the centuries progressed, the Kovar surname continued to be associated with various professions and trades, reflecting its occupational origins. While the name originated in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchanges.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kovar
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kovar 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 Kovar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,257
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 89
- Two or more races2.1% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kovar
Kovar 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
#12,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,473
+49 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 694 places
2020
#12,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
-46 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,837 | 2,424 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,531 | 2,473 | 0.84 | +49 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 694 places |
| 2020 | #12,239 | 2,427 | 0.81 | -46 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 292 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 Kovar 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 | #12,531 | #12,239 | 2.3% |
| Count | 2,473 | 2,427 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.81 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kovar bearers went from 2,473 to 2,427 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 292 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,531 to #12,239.
FAQ
Kovar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kovar?
Name Census estimates that about 2,783 living Americans carry the surname Kovar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,160 residents.
How common is Kovar?
Kovar ranks #12,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,427 people with the surname Kovar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kovar.
Has Kovar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kovar went from 2,473 recorded bearers to 2,427. That is a decrease of 46 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,531 to #12,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Kovar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kovar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,257 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kovar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kovar (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 Kovar mean?
A Czech occupational surname referring to a metalworker, blacksmith, or locksmith. 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 Kovar (0.81 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 people are called Kovar?
You can see how many people have the surname Kovar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.