NameCensus.

UK surname

Cove

A surname referring to a small coastal inlet, bay or creek.

In the 1881 census there were 651 people recorded with the Cove surname, ranking it #5,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 886, ranked #6,371, down from #5,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Chudleigh and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Horsham, Herefordshire and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cove is 954 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.1%.

1881 census count

651

Ranked #5,488

Modern count

886

2016, ranked #6,371

Peak year

1911

954 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cove had 651 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 886 in 2016, ranked #6,371.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 954 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cove surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cove surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cove 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 452 #5,452
1861 historical 495 #5,279
1881 historical 651 #5,488
1891 historical 728 #5,439
1901 historical 827 #5,471
1911 historical 954 #4,725
1997 modern 880 #6,074
1998 modern 927 #6,015
1999 modern 940 #5,999
2000 modern 915 #6,105
2001 modern 900 #6,089
2002 modern 904 #6,179
2003 modern 900 #6,086
2004 modern 899 #6,094
2005 modern 887 #6,088
2006 modern 897 #6,063
2007 modern 890 #6,139
2008 modern 899 #6,132
2009 modern 901 #6,262
2010 modern 911 #6,332
2011 modern 910 #6,273
2012 modern 880 #6,349
2013 modern 902 #6,330
2014 modern 892 #6,417
2015 modern 878 #6,430
2016 modern 886 #6,371

Geography

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Where Coves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Chudleigh, London parishes and Malborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Horsham, Herefordshire, Southampton, South Hams and New Forest. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Chudleigh Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Malborough Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Horsham 014 Horsham
2 Herefordshire 012 Herefordshire, County of
3 Southampton 032 Southampton
4 South Hams 012 South Hams
5 New Forest 005 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cove

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cove

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cove, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cove surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cove household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cove is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cove 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

Cove falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cove is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cove

The surname COVE is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cofe," which means a small cave, recess, or shelter. The name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a cove or small bay.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname COVE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a Richard de la Cove is mentioned. This suggests that the name was established in the area by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname COVE appeared in several other historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William de la Cove. The prefix "de la" suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term, meaning "of the cove."

The COVE surname is also associated with various place names throughout England, such as Cove Bay in Suffolk and Cove in Hampshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname COVE include John Cove (1563-1628), an English composer and organist who served in the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. Another notable figure is Sir William Cove (1638-1713), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, Edward Cove (1785-1855) was a prominent English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including St. Dunstan-in-the-East and St. Michael's Church in Cornhill.

William Cove (1860-1938), an English cricketer, played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club between 1883 and 1894, scoring over 6,000 runs in his career.

Finally, Elizabeth Cove (1914-2002) was a British author and illustrator known for her children's books, including "The Little Wooden Horse" and "The Enchanted Egg."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cove families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cove 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. Middlesex leads with 123 Coves recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 123 1.95x
Devon 122 9.30x
Surrey 77 2.51x
Gloucestershire 68 5.50x
Wiltshire 54 9.69x
Kent 40 1.86x
Berkshire 36 7.61x
Lancashire 19 0.25x
Hampshire 15 1.16x
Glamorgan 10 0.91x
Northamptonshire 10 1.69x
Durham 9 0.48x
Cornwall 7 0.98x
Essex 7 0.56x
Somerset 7 0.69x
Staffordshire 6 0.28x
Hertfordshire 5 1.15x
Norfolk 5 0.52x
Worcestershire 5 0.61x
Yorkshire 5 0.08x
Lanarkshire 3 0.15x
Angus 2 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.24x
Renfrewshire 2 0.41x
Channel Islands 1 0.54x
Cumberland 1 0.18x
Midlothian 1 0.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Malborough in Devon leads with 26 Coves recorded in 1881 and an index of 499.04x.

Place Total Index
Malborough 26 499.04x
Bermondsey 24 12.79x
Plymouth Charles The 24 41.53x
St Pancras London 20 3.94x
St Marylebone London 16 4.76x
Tormoham 16 28.83x
Battersea 15 6.47x
Camberwell 15 3.73x
Ashton Keynes 12 579.71x
Downton 10 137.17x
Hazleton 10 2380.95x
Chudleigh 9 215.83x
Kensington London 9 2.57x
Newington 9 3.87x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 6.88x
Higham 8 275.86x
Hound 8 91.22x
Lewisham 8 6.98x
Ystradyfodwg 8 8.31x
Bow London 7 8.73x
Cromhall 7 1129.03x
Hillingdon 7 34.84x
Mile End Old Town London 7 5.22x
Stoke 7 131.83x
Stoke Damerel 7 7.63x
Tottenham 7 6.97x
Brixham 6 39.47x
Chisledon 6 237.15x
Clerkenwell London 6 4.03x
Coxhoe 6 112.78x
East Portlemouth 6 909.09x
Hackney London 6 1.70x
Lanteglos By Fowey 6 206.90x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 5.94x
St Decumans 6 618.56x
Swindon 6 13.88x
Abingdon St Helen 5 36.15x
Berkeley Hamfallow 5 223.21x
Burton Upon Trent 5 10.05x
Cheetham 5 8.97x
Crudwell 5 308.64x
Eastington 5 122.25x
Great Faringdon 5 73.53x
Lambeth 5 0.91x
Milton In Gravesend 5 15.51x
Modbury 5 149.25x
Oaksey 5 543.48x
Oldbury 5 12.35x
Stroud 5 20.79x
Tortworth 5 1162.79x
West Ham 5 1.82x
Berkeley Alkington 4 425.53x
Bray 4 28.78x
Chelsea London 4 2.11x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.41x
Duston 4 74.35x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 17.69x
Greenwich 4 3.99x
Kempsford 4 223.46x
Manchester 4 1.19x
New Windsor 4 25.16x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 13.27x
Reading St Giles 4 8.62x
Reading St Lawrence 4 39.53x
Shinfield 4 143.88x
Shoreditch London 4 1.46x
St Clement Danes London 4 30.67x
Stokesley 4 102.83x
Sutton 4 487.80x
Bitton 3 27.88x
Bulkington 3 789.47x
Durham St Nicholas 3 65.08x
Limehouse London 3 4.34x
Paddington London 3 1.29x
Paignton 3 30.06x
Portsea 3 1.19x
Southwark Christchurch 3 10.16x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.70x
Tonbridge 3 3.87x
Westminster St James 3 4.63x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 45
John 37
Henry 24
George 17
Thomas 16
James 14
Charles 13
Richard 11
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
Robert 8
Wm. 8
Albert 6
Ernest 6
Joseph 6
Frederick 5
Edward 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Walter 3
David 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Philip 2
Saml. 2
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
Earnest 1
Elisha 1
Evans 1
Ezra 1
Frederic 1
Harol 1
Harrison 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Marcus 1
Mark 1
Nathaniel 1
Noah 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Sam 1

FAQ

Cove surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cove surname in 1881?

In 1881, 651 people were recorded with the Cove surname. That placed it at #5,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cove surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 886 in 2016. That gives Cove a modern rank of #6,371.

What does the Cove surname mean?

A surname referring to a small coastal inlet, bay or creek.

What does the Cove map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cove 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.