Kovács

Kovács (pronounced KO-vach) is a common Hungarian surname. It is derived from the Slavic word "kovač," meaning "smith" or "blacksmith." The Hungarian language adopted numerous words from Slavic languages, particularly during the period of Slavic and Hungarian coexistence in the Carpathian Basin.

The surname Kovács is among the most frequent surnames in Hungary, indicating the historical importance and prevalence of blacksmithing as a profession. The name can be found with slight variations in other Central and Eastern European countries that have historical Slavic influences, such as "Kováč" in Slovakia, "Kovač" in Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia, "Kowalczyk" or "Kowal" in Poland, and "Koval" or "Kovalenko" in Ukraine and Russia. These variations all share the same etymological root and meaning related to the occupation of a blacksmith.

The suffix "-s" in "Kovács" is a common Hungarian suffix denoting occupation or origin, though in the case of surnames it often just acts as a naming convention without direct occupational implication for all bearers of the name.

Given the widespread distribution of the surname, individuals named Kovács can be found in many countries outside of Central and Eastern Europe due to emigration and diaspora.