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Kowal Family History

Kowal Surname Meaning

Polish Rusyn (from Poland) Sorbian and Jewish (from Poland): occupational name for a blacksmith Polish and Lower Sorbian kowal. In North America this surname may also be a shortened form of any of various derivatives of Kowal such as Polish Kowalczuk.

Compare Koval. Americanized form of Rusyn (from Slovakia) and Slovak Kovaľ Ukrainian Belorussian Czech and Jewish Koval a cognate of 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Kowal family from?

You can see how Kowal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kowal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Kowal families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Kowal family living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Kowal's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Kowal families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kowal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kowal ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kowal. 29% of Kowal men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Kowal women worked as a Waitress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kowal were Proprietor and Clerk.

View Census Data for Kowal | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    29%
  • Machinist
    5%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Proprietor
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%

What Kowal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Kowal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kowal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kowal

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Kowal. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kowal immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Kowal. For the veterans among your Kowal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kowal military records

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What is the average Kowal lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Kowal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Kowal in 1940 was 48, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kowal

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kowal ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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