Kovács

Kovács or Kovacs, meaning blacksmith, is one of the most common Hungarian family names.^[1]

History

The name is found in Hungary and Hungarian expatriate communities. There are similar names with the Kováts or Kovách spellings. The name means "blacksmith" in Hungarian, and it is a loanword from Slavic languages.^[2]

The top three most frequent surnames in Hungary are Nagy, Kovács, and Tóth.^[3]

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 [hu] (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 (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 ccomics 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
• Michael Kovats de Fabriczy (1724–1779), Hungarian noble and military officer. Known as a founding father of the United States Cavalry.
• Mihály Kovács, multiple people
• Miklós Kovács or Nicolae Kovács, multiple people
• 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 (born 1996), Hungarian darts player
• Patrik Kovács (footballer) (born 2007), Hungarian footballer
• Péter Kovács, multiple people
• Pierre Kovacs (born 1958), Swiss rower
• 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

See also

• All pages with titles containing Kovacs