Kovalchuk
Kovalchuk (Russian, Ukrainian: Ковальчу́к), Kavalchuk (Belarusian: Кавальчу́к), Kowalczuk (Polish), also transliterated as a German adaptation Kowalchuk (in the North American diaspora), is a common East Slavic surname (one of the most popular in Ukraine).[1] The Kovalchuk name extends back to before 1500 AD in the Kievan Rus.
Koval (Коваль) literally translates as forge or blacksmith. The suffix -chuk denoted either a son of, or an apprentice to a blacksmith. It is somewhat similar in commonality to English surname Smith. It is also cognate with very popular Polish surnames Kowalczyk and Kowalski.
In East Slavic Languages, the correct pronunciation would be ko-vahl-CHOOK, but for those living in the West, for example Ukrainian Canadians, the pronunciation ko-WAL-chuk is more common.
People
- Andrey Kovalchuk (born 1959), Russian sculptor
- Anna Kovalchuk (born 1977), Russian actress
- Chris Kowalczuk (born 1985), Canadian footballer
- Serghei Covalciuc (born 1982), Moldovan-Ukrainian footballer
- Syarhey Kavalchuk (born 1978), Belarusian footballer
- Ilya Kovalchuk (born 1983), Russian professional ice hockey player
- Kyrylo Kovalchuk (born 1986), Ukrainian footballer
- Mikhail Kovalchuk (born 1946), Scientific Secretary of the Council for Science and High Technologies attached to the President of the Russian Federation
- Victoria Kovalchuk (born 1954), Ukrainian artist
- Yury Kovalchuk (born 1951), Russian businessman, head of the Board of Directors of the Russia bank