Kovalchuk (Ukrainian and Russian: Ковальчук), Kavalchuk (Belarusian: Кавальчук), Kowalczuk (Polish), Covalciuc (Romanian), also transliterated as 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 Kievan Rus.
[citation needed] Koval (Коваль) literally translates as forge or blacksmith.
It is also cognate with very popular Polish surnames Kowalczyk and Kowalski.
In East Slavic languages, the correct pronunciation is ko-vahl-CHOOK.