NameCensus.

UK surname

Bove

An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who herded oxen or cattle.

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Bove surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bexley, Solihull and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bove is 150 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14900.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2016

150 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bove had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bove surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bove surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bove surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bove over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7 #32,070
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1891 historical 16 #32,868
1901 historical 9 #33,154
1911 historical 26 #30,547
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 126 #24,239
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

Back to top

Where Boves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bexley, Solihull, County Durham and Birmingham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bexley 003 Bexley
2 Bexley 002 Bexley
3 Solihull 015 Solihull
4 County Durham 020 County Durham
5 Birmingham 079 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bove

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bove surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bove

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bove, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bove surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bove household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bove is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bove is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bove falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bove is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bove, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bove

The surname Bove originated in Italy, deriving from the Italian word "bove," which means "ox" or "bull." This occupational surname likely referred to someone who worked with oxen, such as a farmer, plowman, or cattle herder.

The earliest known record of the Bove surname dates back to the 13th century in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. In these areas, the name was initially spelled "Bove" or variations like "Bovi" and "Bua."

In the 14th century, the name Bove appeared in various manuscripts and records from southern Italy. For instance, a certain Tommaso Bove was mentioned in a legal document from Naples in 1342.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Bove surname was Andrea Bove, a landowner and cattle breeder who lived in the town of Eboli, near Salerno, in the late 15th century.

During the Renaissance period, several members of the Bove family gained prominence. Girolamo Bove (1515-1592) was a renowned architect and military engineer from Naples who worked on fortifications and public buildings throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the Bove surname spread to other parts of Italy, including the region of Lazio. A notable figure from this period was Vincenzo Bove (1633-1708), a painter and architect from Rome who worked on churches and palaces in the city.

Another prominent bearer of the Bove name was Giuseppe Bove (1770-1846), a Neapolitan lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the Napoleonic parliament and later as a judge.

In the 19th century, Pietro Bove (1811-1887) was a renowned Italian explorer and geographer who participated in several expeditions to Africa and the Middle East. He served as the director of the Istituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica in Rome.

Lastly, Camillo Bove (1887-1965) was an Italian writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories, including the acclaimed work "Il Pianeta Irritabile" (The Irritable Planet).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bove families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bove surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Dorset leads with 1 Boves recorded in 1881 and an index of 158.73x.

County Total Index
Dorset 1 158.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Melcombe Regis in Dorset leads with 1 Boves recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Melcombe Regis 1 3333.33x

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bove surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Percy 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bove households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 1

FAQ

Bove surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bove surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Bove surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bove surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Bove a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Bove surname mean?

An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who herded oxen or cattle.

What does the Bove map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bove bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.