Koval
A Slavic surname meaning “smith” or “metalworker.”
The #6,912 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,593 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Koval is a Slavic occupational surname built from the word for a blacksmith or metalworker. In several East European languages, especially Ukrainian and Belarusian, koval means “smith.” The name was likely first used for someone who worked iron or made tools and was then passed down as a family surname.
History
The surname is found across Eastern Europe and among diaspora communities in North America and elsewhere. It is especially familiar in Ukrainian and Belarusian naming traditions, though related forms occur more widely in Slavic-language areas. English-language records may also show variants shaped by local spelling or transliteration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is cognate with Polish Kowal, another common surname built from the same word for a smith.