UK boy's name
Kove
Meaning "little curve" or "small bay", a possible Scandinavian origin name.
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.
Kove is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kove popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2921, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 8 births.
This profile covers 27 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2018 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 88% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 30 living people in the UK are called Kove. 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
- • Kove ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 8 boys were registered as Kove.
- • Kove ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #703 in 2022.
- • About 30 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kove as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2921
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2023
8 births
Estimated living
30
2026
Meaning
What does Kove mean?
The name Kove is believed to have originated from the ancient Germanic language, dating back to the early Middle Ages. Its roots can be traced to the Old High German word "kuobi," which translates to "small tub" or "trough." This etymology suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving the making or use of small wooden containers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kove can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, Germany. In this text, dated around the 11th century, a person named "Kuovo" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kove appeared sporadically in various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with Germanic cultural influences. It was often spelled with slight variations, such as "Kuovo," "Kovo," or "Kove."
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Kove von Wittelsbach was a minor nobleman and landowner in Bavaria, Germany. Records indicate that he was involved in local politics and disputes over territorial claims during that period.
Fast-forwarding to the 16th century, Kove Andersson was a Swedish farmer and landowner who lived in the region of Dalarna. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and tax records from that time.
In the 17th century, Kove Sørensen was a Danish sailor and explorer who embarked on voyages to the West Indies and the Caribbean. He is credited with being one of the first Danes to establish trade routes and settlements in the region.
During the 18th century, Kove Jansen was a Dutch merchant and trader who established a successful business in the city of Amsterdam. He is known for his involvement in the Dutch East India Company and his contributions to the city's economic development.
In the 19th century, Kove Eriksson was a Norwegian artist and painter who gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Norwegian fjords and mountains. His works are preserved in several art museums across Norway.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kove over time
The chart below shows babies named Kove registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2018 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 Kove, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kove by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kove 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 | #2972 | 20 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4343 | 7 | 2 |
Geography
Where Kove is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kove. 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.
Kove ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #703 in 2022.
Across the UK
Kove in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#703 in 2022
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kove
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kove: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kove in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kove was ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Kove most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 8 babies registered as Kove in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kove?
Meaning "little curve" or "small bay", a possible Scandinavian origin name.
How many people are called Kove in the UK?
A total of 27 babies have been registered as Kove across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Kove most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kove ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #703 in 2022. 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.