Kovács

Kovács or Kovacs, meaning blacksmith, is one of the most common Hungarian family name. The name is found in Hungary and Hungarian expatriate communities. There are similar names with the Kováts or Kovats, or Kovách spellings. The name means "blacksmith" in Hungarian, and it is a loanword from Slavic languages.^[1]

The top three most frequent surnames in Hungary are Nagy, Kovács, and Tóth.^[2]

Notable people

Adalbert Kovács (1920–1999), Romanian footballer
Ádám Kovács, multiple people
Ágnes Kovács, multiple people
Ákos Kovács, multiple people
András Kovács, multiple people
Andrei Kovacs (born 1921), Romanian alpine skier
Anett Kovács (born 1994), Hungarian handball player
Angela Kovács (born 1964), Swedish actress
Anna Kovács (born 1991), Hungarian handball player
Annabelle Kovacs (born 1996), Canadian rhythmic gymnast
Annamária Kovács (1945–2023), Hungarian athlete known as Annamária Tóth
Antal Kovács (born 1972), Hungarian judoka
Árpád Kovács (born 2005), Hungarian sprinter
Attila Kovács, multiple people
Balázs Kovács, multiple people
Barbara Kovács (born 1993), Hungarian racewalker known as Barbara Oláh
Barnabás Kovács (born 2002), Hungarian footballer
Béla Kovács, multiple people
Benedek Kovács (born 1998), Hungarian swimmer
Bill Kovacs (1949–2006), American pioneer of commercial computer animation technology
Csaba Kovács (born 1984), Hungarian ice hockey player
Csaba Kovács (rower) (1932–2002), Hungarian rower
Dalma Kovács (born 1985), Romanian singer
Dan Kovacs (born 1970), American powerlifter
Dániel Kovács, multiple people
Dávid Kovács (born 1976), Hungarian politician
Dávid Kovács (footballer, born 1991), Hungarian footballer
Dénes Kovács (1930–2005), Hungarian violinist
Dominik Mate Kovacs, American academic, businessperson and artificial intelligence researcher
Dusán Kovács (born 1971), Hungarian hurdler
Edit Kovács, multiple people
Ella Kovacs (born 1964), Romanian middle distance runner
Elvira Kovács (born 1982), Serbian politician
Emese Kovács (born 1991), Hungarian swimmer
Erika Kovacs (born 1973), Romanian bobsledder
Ernie Kovacs (1919–1962), American entertainer
Ernő Kovács (born 1959), Hungarian politician
Ervin Kovács (born 1967), Hungarian footballer
Ervin Kováts (1927–2012), Hungarian-born Swiss chemist known for the Kovats retention index
Erzsi Kovács (1928–2014), Hungarian singer
Ferenc Kovács, multiple people
Frank Kovacs (1919–1990), American tennis player
Fred Kovacs, American soccer player
Gábor Kovács, multiple people
Gary Kovacs (born 1963 or 1964), Canadian-American businessman
Gergely Kovács, multiple people
Gergő Kovács (born 1989), Hungarian footballer
Greg Kovacs (1968–2013), American bodybuilder
Gyula Kovács, multiple people
Ida Kovács (born 1975), Hungarian runner
Ilona Kovács (born 1960), Hungarian basketball player
Ilonka Kovács (1898–1989), Hungarian actress known as Lucy Doraine
Imre Kovács (1921–1996), Hungarian footballer
Iosif Kovács (1921–2003), Romanian footballer
István Kovács, multiple people
Iván Kovács (born 1970), Hungarian épée fencer
János Kovács (geologist) (1816–1906), Hungarian traveller, naturalist and educator
János Kovács (born 1985), Hungarian footballer
János Kovács (footballer, born 1919) (1919–1982), Hungarian footballer
Joe Kovacs (born 1989), American track and field athlete
Joe Kovacs (puppeteer) (born 1967), American puppeteer
Jolan Kovacs (1917–2011), American model known as Joanne Siegel
Jonathan Hall Kovacs (born 1969), American actor and director
Jordan Kovacs (born 1990), American football coach and former player
József Kovács, multiple people
Judit Kovács (born 1969), Hungarian high jumper
Judit Kovács (archer) (born 1956), Hungarian archer
Julie Kovacs (born 1959), American chemist
Kálmán Kovács, multiple people
Károly Kovács (1931–2007), Hungarian jurist and diplomat
Károly Kovács (actor) (1902–1990), Hungarian actor
Kata Kovács, Hungarian artist
Katalin Kovács (born 1976), Hungarian canoer
Kati Kovács (born 1944), Hungarian actress and singer
Kati Kovács (comics) (born 1963), Hungarian-Finnish comics artist
Katherine Singer Kovács (1946–1989), American film studies academic
Kit Kovacs, Canadian marine mammal researcher
Klaudia Kovács (born 1990), Hungarian footballer
Kris Kovacs, Guitarist, songwriter, remixer and producer of British indie rock and new wave band Deluka
Krisztián Kovács (born 2000), Hungarian footballer
Ladislav Kovács (born 1991), Slovak Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player
Lajos Kovács, multiple people
László Kovács, multiple people
Leslie Kovacs (1925–1968), Australian fencer
Lóránt Kovács (born 1993), Romanian footballer
Magda Kósáné Kovács (1940–2020), Hungarian politician and Member of the European Parliament
Magdolna Kovács, Hungarian orienteer
Marcell Kovács (born 2003), Hungarian footballer
Margit Kovács (1902–1977) Hungarian ceramist and sculptor
Maria Kovacs, American psychologist and academic
Marko Kovač (bishop) (born 1981), Auxiliary bishops of Zagreb of Slovenian origin (2026-)
Michael Kovats de Fabriczy (1724–1779), Hungarian noble and military officer. Known as a founding father of the United States Cavalry.
Michaela Kovacs (born 1997), American soccer player
Mihály Kovács, multiple people1))
Miklós Kovács or Nicolae Kovács, multiple people
Milán Kovács (born 1999), Hungarian footballer
Mónika Kovács (born 1976), Hungarian alpine skier
Myles Kovacs, American businessman
Nándor Kovács (1881–1945), Hungarian track and field athlete and gymnast
Nikolasz Kovács (born 1999), Hungarian footballer
Nikolett Kovács (born 1982), Hungarian motorcycle racer
Norbert Kovács, multiple people
Olivér Kovács (born 1990), Hungarian footballer
Pál Kovács (1912–1995), Hungarian saber fencer
Patricia Kovács (born 1996), Austrian handballer known as Patrícia Mihalics
Patrik Kovács, multiple people
Péter Kovács, multiple people
Pierre Kovacs (born 1958), Swiss rower
Raluca Kovacs, American politician
Richard Kovacs (1885–1950), American physician
Richárd Kovács (born 1997), Hungarian boxer
Robin Kovacs (born 1996), Swedish ice hockey player
Rita Kovács (born 1970), Hungarian swimmer
Sándor J. Kovács (born 1947), Hungarian-American cardiologist
Sandy Koufax (born 1935), American baseball player
Sarolta Kovács (born 1991), Hungarian modern pentathlete
Sharon Kovacs (born 1990), Dutch singer
Ștefan Kovács (1920–1995), Romanian football manager and player
Stephen Kovacs (1972–2022), American saber fencer and fencing coach, charged with sexual assault, died in prison
Tamás Kovács, multiple people
Tibor Kovács (born 1952), Hungarian petroleum engineer and politician
Viktor Kovács (born 1973), Hungarian track and field athlete
Virginia Kovacs (1918–2008), American tennis player known as Virginia Wolfenden
Zollie Kovacs (born c. 1935), Canadian football player
Zoltán Kovács, multiple people
Zsófia Kovács, multiple people
Zsolt Kovács, multiple people
Zsuzsa Kovács (born 1945), Hungarian swimmer

Fictional characters

Takeshi Kovacs, a fictional character in three books by Richard Morgan
Walter Kovacs, the identity of the character Rorschach, in the DC Comic series Watchmen
Kirilli Kovacs, a character in Darren Shan's series, The Demonata.
Tarhos Kovács, a playable character in Dead by Daylight

References

↑ Cresswell, Julia (2010). "The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins".
↑ Tamás Farkas, A Surname Typology Project: The Lessons Learnt from the Distribution of the Most Frequent Hungarian Surnames

^[1]

↑ Ganzhina, I. M. (2001) Словарь современных русских фамилий. Moscow: Astrel. p. 260. ISBN 5-271-00127-X.

[1] Cresswell, Julia (2010). "The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins".

[2] Tamás Farkas, A Surname Typology Project: The Lessons Learnt from the Distribution of the Most Frequent Hungarian Surnames

[ga-3] Ganzhina, I. M. (2001) Словарь современных русских фамилий. Moscow: Astrel. p. 260. ISBN 5-271-00127-X.

[1]

[2]

[1]

Surnames associated with the occupation of smith
Celtic	Goff Goffe Gow Gowan Gowans Le Goff Mac a' Ghobhainn MacGavin / McGavin MacGowan / McGowan
Germanic	Brenneis De Smedt De Smet Eisen Eisler Eisner Kleinschmidt Klier Klingbeil Klinkhamer Klinkhammer Nagel Pinkert Schmid Schmidt Schmied Schmiedel Schmiedl Schmieden Schmitt Schmitz Schmitzer Smed Smeets Smet Smets Smidt Smit (Smith, list) Smithe Smither Smithers Smithies Smithson Smits Smyth Smythe Szmidt Šmíd
Romance	Fabbri Faber Fabre Fabri Faure Favre Feaver Ferrara Ferrari Ferraris Ferraro Ferré Ferreira Ferrer Ferrero Ferreiro Ferretti Ferreyra Ferrier Ferriero Fieraru Fierarul Herrera Herrero Lefébure Lefebvre Lefèvre
Semitic	Haddad Hadodo Al-Haddad El-Haddad
Slavic	Covaci Coval Covali Covaliov Kavaleuski Kavalski Kavalyow Kovač Kováč Kovach Kovačević Kovačevič Kovačovič Kovačev Kovachev Kovačec Kovačevski Kovačić Kovačič Kovačik¹ Kováčik¹ Kovack Kovács Koval Kovalchuk Kovalenko Kovalevich Kovalevsky Kovalic¹ Kovalik¹ Kovalkov Kovals Kovalsky Kovalyov Kovalyuk Kovář Kovařík¹ Kováts Kowal Kowalik¹ Kowalczyk Kowalczuk Kowalewicz Kowalewski Kowalski Kuznets Kuznetsov Kuźniar
Other	Armenian: Darbinyan/Tarpinian Baltic Galdikas Kalējs Kalvaitis (Kalwejt, Kallweit, etc.) Kalve Kavaliauskas Šmits Finnic Sepp Seppä Seppänen Seppälä Seppäläinen Indic: Lohar Kartvelian Mchedlidze Mchedlishvili Turkic Demirci Demircioğlu
From "spark" rel. to occ. 'smith'	Fonck Funck Funk Funke Vonck Voncken Vonk
¹ "Kovalik" etc. may also be derived from the name of the bird of genus of nuthatches

Notable people

Fictional characters

See also

References