NameCensus.

UK surname

Covell

An English habitational surname derived from places in Cambridgeshire or Oxfordshire, likely referring to a person from Covell.

In the 1881 census there were 480 people recorded with the Covell surname, ranking it #6,976 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 782, ranked #7,053, down from #6,976 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, North Norfolk and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Covell is 955 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.9%.

1881 census count

480

Ranked #6,976

Modern count

782

2016, ranked #7,053

Peak year

1911

955 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Covell had 480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,976 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 782 in 2016, ranked #7,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 955 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Covell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Covell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Covell 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 301 #7,626
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 480 #6,976
1891 historical 630 #6,141
1901 historical 788 #5,711
1911 historical 955 #4,721
1997 modern 777 #6,691
1998 modern 792 #6,807
1999 modern 795 #6,832
2000 modern 778 #6,925
2001 modern 747 #7,006
2002 modern 775 #6,952
2003 modern 757 #6,960
2004 modern 756 #6,980
2005 modern 763 #6,859
2006 modern 740 #7,061
2007 modern 735 #7,173
2008 modern 749 #7,114
2009 modern 756 #7,208
2010 modern 764 #7,288
2011 modern 759 #7,232
2012 modern 746 #7,259
2013 modern 768 #7,207
2014 modern 777 #7,165
2015 modern 779 #7,082
2016 modern 782 #7,053

Geography

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Where Covells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, Lambeth and Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, North Norfolk, Doncaster, Wakefield and Peterborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 020 Redcar and Cleveland
2 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
3 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
4 Wakefield 042 Wakefield
5 Peterborough 007 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Covell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Covell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Covell, 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 Covell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Covell 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Covell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Covell is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Covell falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Covell 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 Covell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Covell

The surname Covell is of English origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cofa," meaning a chamber or small apartment, and the suffix "-el," which signifies a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have been used to refer to someone who lived in a small dwelling or worked in a chamber.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Covele." This document, a census of landowners and their holdings, provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time period.

The Covell surname also appears in various historical records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire from 1332, where it is spelled as "Covell." These rolls, which recorded taxes levied on the populace, offer a glimpse into the geographic spread of the name across different regions of England.

Notably, the surname is mentioned in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name is recorded as "Coveleia," which may have been an early spelling variation or a place name associated with the surname.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Covell surname have achieved notable status. One such figure was Sir Thomas Covell (c. 1548-1631), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and later became a Justice of the King's Bench. Another prominent individual was John Covell (c. 1638-1722), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

In the realm of literature, Abraham Covell (c. 1616-1692) was an English poet and translator who is best known for his translation of Virgil's works into English. Additionally, Robert Covell (c. 1575-1623) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the early 17th century.

The Covell surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Covell's Green in Cambridgeshire and Covell's Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations in England's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Covell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Covell 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. Norfolk leads with 68 Covells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.45x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 68 9.45x
Surrey 61 2.67x
Middlesex 53 1.13x
Kent 46 2.88x
Sussex 46 5.83x
Lancashire 41 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 39 13.15x
Lincolnshire 25 3.34x
Essex 17 1.84x
Northumberland 10 1.44x
Suffolk 10 1.75x
Yorkshire 10 0.22x
Staffordshire 9 0.57x
Cheshire 8 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.11x
Huntingdonshire 6 6.45x
Durham 5 0.36x
Caernarfonshire 3 1.58x
Flintshire 3 2.38x
Hertfordshire 3 0.93x
Hampshire 2 0.21x
Herefordshire 2 1.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.57x
Derbyshire 1 0.14x
Inverness-shire 1 0.72x
Isle of Man 1 1.15x
Leicestershire 1 0.19x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 22 Covells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.39x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 22 5.39x
Croydon 21 16.58x
Heathfield 15 468.75x
Limehouse London 13 25.29x
Little Bolton 12 16.80x
New Sealford 12 779.22x
Lewisham 11 12.91x
Worstead 11 894.31x
Witchford 10 1408.45x
Hastings St Andrew 9 318.02x
Wolverhampton 9 7.41x
Beckenham 8 38.31x
Great Bolton 8 10.87x
Harthill Cum Woodall 8 449.44x
North Walsham 8 154.14x
Norwich St Gregory 8 634.92x
Barking 7 25.89x
Hackney London 7 2.67x
Pendleton In Salford 7 10.58x
Pevensey 7 1206.90x
West Ham 7 3.43x
Wimblington 7 400.00x
Ashton On Mersey 6 112.36x
Backworth 6 324.32x
Bungay St Mary 6 212.01x
Toxteth Park 6 3.19x
Bracebridge 5 146.63x
East Bridgford 5 347.22x
Felmingham 5 793.65x
Fletton 5 168.35x
Hastings St Mary In The 5 29.69x
Richmond 5 15.64x
Shipdham 5 204.92x
Aylmerton 4 816.33x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.97x
Ealing 4 9.56x
Haddenham 4 143.37x
Hellingly 4 151.52x
Horton Kirby 4 161.94x
Ilketshall St Lawrence 4 1142.86x
Ingoldisthorpe 4 800.00x
Islington London 4 0.88x
Plumstead 4 7.51x
Ramsgate 4 15.34x
Soham 4 62.70x
St Andrewthe Less 4 11.81x
Stretham 4 188.68x
West Derby 4 2.46x
Westgate 4 9.27x
Westoe 4 5.07x
Wilburton 4 476.19x
Bodfari 3 416.67x
Caterham 3 29.76x
Chipping Ongar 3 188.68x
Gravesend 3 22.17x
Gresham 3 491.80x
Gunton 3 2500.00x
Llanrug 3 60.48x
Poplar London 3 3.39x
Rotherhithe 3 5.19x
St Pancras London 3 0.80x
Upwell 3 89.55x
Waldron 3 139.53x
Wigtoft 3 277.78x
Bermondsey 2 1.43x
Camberwell 2 0.67x
Deal 2 14.67x
Finchley 2 11.14x
Fosdyke 2 259.74x
Harby 2 357.14x
Hastings St Mary 2 10.18x
Hemel Hempstead 2 13.76x
Hereford St Owen 2 31.55x
Kensington London 2 0.77x
Newchurch 2 4.40x
Norwich St Clement 2 23.95x
Snettisham 2 100.50x
South Walsham St Lawrence 2 540.54x
St George Bloomsbury 2 7.45x
Westminster St James 2 4.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 17
Alice 12
Ann 10
Eliza 8
Emily 8
Ellen 7
Emma 6
Hannah 5
Ada 4
Annie 4
Clara 4
Harriet 4
Margaret 4
Charlotte 3
Ethel 3
Isabella 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Susannah 3
Arabella 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Janet 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Sophia 2
Susanna 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Bridget 1
Carline 1
Dormilla 1
Dringle 1
E.L. 1
Eleanor 1
Elizbth. 1
Jessie 1
Juliania 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 22
Thomas 20
John 18
James 13
Charles 12
Frederick 8
Henry 8
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Samuel 7
Herbert 6
Arthur 5
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Ernest 2
Isaac 2
Nelson 2
Wm. 2
Benden 1
Bruce 1
Clarence 1
Colin 1
David 1
Donald 1
Enoch 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Hamm.C. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jeffrey 1
Johnathen 1
Jonas 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Leslie 1
Louis 1
Mann 1
Norman 1
Philip 1
Richd. 1

FAQ

Covell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Covell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 480 people were recorded with the Covell surname. That placed it at #6,976 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Covell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 782 in 2016. That gives Covell a modern rank of #7,053.

What does the Covell surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from places in Cambridgeshire or Oxfordshire, likely referring to a person from Covell.

What does the Covell map show?

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