2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kovars
A surname derived from the word "kovar" which refers to a blacksmith or smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Kovars. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kovars 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Kovars in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovars, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kovars
The surname Kovars has its origins in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of Slovakia. The name can be traced back to the 15th century, deriving from the Slovakian word "kováč," which means "blacksmith" or "metalworker." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the metalworking trade.
In the late 16th century, historical records mention a Ján Kovars, a skilled blacksmith from the town of Levoča in eastern Slovakia. His name appears in local guild records, indicating his prominence in the metalworking community of the time.
The Kovars surname can also be found in other Slavic languages, such as Czech and Polish, with similar spellings like "Kovarz" or "Kowarz." This suggests that the name may have originated earlier and spread across the region due to migration or trade.
One of the earliest documented examples of the Kovars surname is in the 1567 census records of the town of Bardejov, where a family headed by Michal Kovars is listed as residents. This provides evidence of the surname's existence and its association with the metalworking trade in that era.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Kovars surname was Juraj Kovars, a renowned blacksmith from the city of Košice, known for his exceptional craftsmanship in forging intricate metalwork. His creations can still be found in some of the city's historical buildings and museums.
Another notable individual was Ondrej Kovars, a 19th-century metalworker from the town of Prešov, who gained recognition for his innovative techniques in working with iron and steel. His works were highly sought after and can be found in various collections across Slovakia.
In the early 20th century, a prominent figure was Ján Kovars, a skilled blacksmith and metalworker from the village of Liptovský Mikuláš. He is remembered for his contributions to the preservation of traditional Slovak metalworking techniques and his role in mentoring the next generation of artisans.
While the Kovars surname has its roots in Slovakia and the surrounding Slavic regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the metalworking trade in Eastern Europe, where it has a rich history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kovars
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovars, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Kovars 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 Kovars surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 99
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kovars
Kovars appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 2,427 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 Kovars 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 | #158,432 | #156,005 | 1.5% |
| Count | 102 | 99 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kovars bearers went from 102 to 99 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 2,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,005.
FAQ
Kovars surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kovars?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Kovars. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Kovars?
Kovars ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Kovars. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kovars.
Has Kovars become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kovars went from 102 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Kovars?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kovars, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Kovars in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kovars appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Kovars (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 Kovars mean?
A surname derived from the word "kovar" which refers to a blacksmith or smith. 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 Kovars (0.03 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 have the surname Kovars?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.