Explore the Family Name Kovacs
The meaning of Kovacs
Hungarian (Kovács): occupational name for a blacksmith, Hungarian kovács, a loanword from Slavic. Some characteristic forenames: Hungarian Laszlo, Sandor, Gabor, Tibor, Zoltan, Bela, Imre, Istvan, Arpad, Andras, Lajos, Miklos.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kovacs in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kovacs has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname fell from 3709 in 2000 to 3917 in 2010, representing a change of -5.61%. Despite its drop in ranking, the count of individuals with the Kovacs surname increased by 3.38% during the same period, growing from 8775 to 9072. However, the proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people decreased slightly from 3.25 to 3.08, a drop of -5.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,709 | #3,917 | -5.61% |
| Count | 8,775 | 9,072 | 3.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.25 | 3.08 | -5.23% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kovacs
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kovacs, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with this surname identify as White, although this percentage has slightly decreased from 96.05% in 2000 to 94.96% in 2010. During the same period, there has been a significant increase in those who identify as Hispanic, rising by 52.38%, and Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing by 43.14%. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black also grew from 0.23% to 0.31%. There was a slight decline in those identifying with two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native, dropping by 13.82% and 22.22% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.05% | 94.96% | -1.13% |
| Hispanic | 1.89% | 2.88% | 52.38% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 1.06% | -13.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.73% | 43.14% |
| Black | 0.23% | 0.31% | 34.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.09% | 0.07% | -22.22% |
Kovacs ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Kovacs is Eastern European, which comprises 33.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and British & Irish (18.8%). Additional ancestries include Greek & Balkan, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Eastern European | 33.4% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| British & Irish | 18.8% |
| Other | 27.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Kovacs
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Kovacs have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Poland, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland | 45.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 44.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 44.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 44.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 44.40% |
What Kovacs haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Kovacs is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-S17250 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Novak, Nagy, Toth, Szabo, Nowak, Kowalski, Ivanov, Horvath, Mazur, Urban.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kovacs surname are: H1, H, T2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Kovacs have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Kovacs" Surname 39.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Kovacs" Surname 35.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kovacs" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Kovacs" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kovacs?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Kovacs are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition