NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Cove

A small coastal bay or inlet with calm waters.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 78 girls.

Cove is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Cove popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #757, with 45 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 45 births.

This profile covers 156 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2014 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 170 living people in the UK are called Cove. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Cove ranked #757 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 45 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 45 boys were registered as Cove.
  • Cove ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2024.
  • Cove is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 170 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cove as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 66.7% of Cove registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#757

2024

Births in 2024

45

Latest year

Peak year

2023

45 births

Estimated living

170

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Cove

In England and Wales birth records, Cove has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 66.7% of registrations are for boys and 33.3% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

67% boys
33% girls
Boys156 (66.7%)Girls78 (33.3%)

Cove registered for boys

  • Ranked #757 in 2024
  • 45 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2023 (45 births)

Cove registered for girls

  • Ranked #1,128 in 2024
  • 30 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (30 births)

Meaning

What does Cove mean?

The name Cove has its origins in Old English and Middle English, derived from the word "cove," which originally referred to a small coastal inlet or bay. It is believed to have been used as a surname initially, referring to people who lived near or worked in such coastal areas.

In its earliest recorded use as a given name, Cove appears to have emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in England and parts of the British Isles. Some historical records suggest it may have been used as a diminutive or nickname for names like Coventry or Coveney.

While not commonly found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name Cove does have a few notable historical references. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Cove Jones, an English sailor and explorer who was part of Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions to the Americas in the late 16th century.

Another prominent figure was Cove Sydenham (1615-1654), an English parliamentarian and supporter of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Commonwealth of England.

In the 18th century, Cove Borlase (1738-1809) was a prominent English antiquarian and naturalist, known for his contributions to the study of geology and Cornish history.

Moving into the 19th century, Cove Higginson (1823-1911) was an American author, minister, and abolitionist, who wrote extensively about social reforms and served as a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

More recently, Cove Cameron (1925-2001) was an American actor and stuntman, best known for his work in Western films and television shows, including appearances in popular series like "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza."

While not an exhaustive list, these examples illustrate the historical presence and use of the name Cove across different periods and contexts, ranging from exploration and military service to literature and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cove over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Cove in England and Wales, from 2014 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Cove, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 45 births in 2024, compared with 45 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
019385675201420192024

Decades

Cove by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cove was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1433 132 5
2010s #3335 24 4

Geography

Where Cove is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cove. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Cove ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2024.

Scotland
7

Across the UK

Cove in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#432 in 2024

3 years of NRS records, 15 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cove

FAQ

Cove: questions and answers

How popular is the name Cove in the UK right now?

In 2024, Cove was ranked #757 for boys in England and Wales, with 45 births registered.

When was Cove most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 45 babies registered as Cove in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cove?

A small coastal bay or inlet with calm waters.

How many people are called Cove in the UK?

A total of 156 babies have been registered as Cove across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 15 more in Scotland.

Where is Cove most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cove ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #432 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.