Explore the Family Name Kovalev

The meaning of Kovalev

Russian, Belorussian, and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): patronymic from Koval ‘smith’, formed with the Russian possessive suffix -ëv.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kovalev in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kovalev has seen a remarkable increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, its rank was 66,274 and by 2010, it had risen to 44,500, marking a significant change of 32.85%. The count of people bearing this surname also grew from 279 to 483, reflecting a 73.12% increase over the decade. Consequently, the proportion of people named Kovalev per 100,000 individuals in the population climbed from 0.1 to 0.16, an uptick of 60%.

20002010Change
Rank#66,274#44,50032.85%
Count27948373.12%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1660%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kovalev

When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kovalev, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that it is predominantly linked with individuals who identify as White. In 2000, 94.27% of Kovalevs identified as White, and this figure rose slightly to 98.76% in 2010—a change of 4.76%. There were some Kovalevs in 2000 who identified with two or more races, but this percentage dropped to zero by 2010. There were no reported instances of Kovalevs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
White94.27%98.76%4.76%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races5.73%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%