Surname Kavaliauskas - Meaning and Origin
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Kavaliauskas: What does the surname Kavaliauskas mean?
The last name Kavaliauskas is derived from the Lithuanian word ‘Kavalas’ which means horseman. This can be traced back to an ancestral profession of horse herding historically. This has been a common surname in Lithuania since the 1400s, although it is thought to have been of Russian origin.
The name Kavaliauskas indicates that one’s ancestors likely hailed from Lithuania, where they made a living as a horseman. It is still a common surname there today, and can also be found in parts of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe.
Kavaliauskas is also a popularly used first name in Lithuania, as well as a number of other countries. Variations of name pronunciation can include Kavalis, Kavaliauskas, Kavoliauskas, Kavolijauskas and others. Generally, the pronunciation ends with ‘kahv-ah-loo-ee-ah-skahsh’ or ‘kaal-yow-skahsh’.
The name itself can also be translated into English as ‘horseman’ or ‘horseman of the sky’, which is a testament to the importance that horses held historically in Lithuania. It is thought that the use of the name would have been a way to honor the profession of horse herding as well as commemorate a beloved ancestor.
Order DNA origin analysisKavaliauskas: Where does the name Kavaliauskas come from?
The last name Kavaliauskas is most commonly found in Lithuania today. It is a Lithuanian surname which dates back to the 18th century, standing for a person of a noble origin who took care of horses or kavalas in their native language.
This surname is relatively rare, estimated to be held by around 1,500 people globally, with most of them being Lithuanian citizens. There were also small concentrations in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, although many of them migrated and settled in Germany, United States, Canada, and other European countries.
The Kavaliauskas name has been present in Lithuania for centuries and some of its current prominent members include Andrius Kavaliauskas, a Lithuanian lawyer and politician, and Vilius Kavaliauskas, a professor of bioinformatics at Vilnius University.
The family is most often found in the central part of Lithuania today, particularly in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Panevėžys. The spelling of the surname is sometimes slightly modified, making it Kavaliauskas, Kavaliouškas and occasionally Kavaliauskiene in cases of female bearers.
Variations of the surname Kavaliauskas
The surname Kavaliauskas is originally derived from the Lithuanian word Kavalas which means “knight”. This surname is found in Lithuania and other countries, and it has various spellings and derivatives.
The most common variants of Kavaliauskas include Kavaliushkevich, Kavaliashka, Kvalevski, Kvalemene, Kavaliashvili, Kavalevsky, Kovaļiux, Kavaliovas, and Kavaliukevich.
In addition to these conventional spelling variations, the surname Kavaliushkevich is also found in Belarus, where it is represented by the varieties Kaveliushkevich, Kaveliushkevitse, Kaveliushkevichu, Kavelo, Kaveliushkevis and Kaveliushka.
In Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of the Russian Federation the surname Kavalevsky is also a popular variant with alternate spellings such as Kavalievsky, Kovalievski, and Kavelivski.
In Latvia, Kavaliashka is sometimes used as a variant of Kavaliauskas. In neighboring Estonia, Kvalemene is an alternate form of the surname.
In Poland, Kovaļiux is a derivative and in Scotland, Kavaliukevich is a variant of Kavaliauskas that is especially popular among people with Lithuanian heritage.
Regardless of variant, Kavaliauskas is a distinctive Lithuanian surname that has endured for generations and remains popular in many countries.
Famous people with the name Kavaliauskas
- Marius Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian professional basketball player who currently plays for Žalgiris of the Lithuanian Basketball League.
- Saulius Kavaliauskas: a former Lithuanian footballer who played as a forward for FK Ekranas.
- Tadas Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian political scientist and professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University.
- Karolis Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian freestyle swimmer and Olympic medallist.
- Jurgis Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian footballer who currently plays for FK Utenis Utena.
- Eimantas Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian race walker who competed in the 2012 London Olympics.
- Audrius Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian professional football goalkeeper who plays for FC Spyris in the Lithuanian first division.
- Vaidotas Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian politician who served as the mayor of Vilnius from 2001–2006.
- Mindaugas Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian professional basketball player who plays for FK Žalgiris Kaunas.
- Simas Kavaliauskas: a Lithuanian decathlete who won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 2010 European Athletics Championships.