NameCensus.

UK surname

Coveney

A locational surname indicating one from the place called Coveney.

In the 1881 census there were 468 people recorded with the Coveney surname, ranking it #7,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 765, ranked #7,175, down from #7,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Havering and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coveney is 873 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.5%.

1881 census count

468

Ranked #7,114

Modern count

765

2016, ranked #7,175

Peak year

1998

873 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coveney had 468 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 765 in 2016, ranked #7,175.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 659 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Coveney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coveney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coveney 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 309 #7,449
1861 historical 284 #8,845
1881 historical 468 #7,114
1891 historical 543 #6,951
1901 historical 600 #7,077
1911 historical 659 #6,373
1997 modern 822 #6,400
1998 modern 873 #6,305
1999 modern 852 #6,471
2000 modern 850 #6,457
2001 modern 815 #6,549
2002 modern 832 #6,570
2003 modern 800 #6,652
2004 modern 815 #6,561
2005 modern 792 #6,660
2006 modern 784 #6,733
2007 modern 793 #6,741
2008 modern 796 #6,775
2009 modern 817 #6,762
2010 modern 832 #6,807
2011 modern 799 #6,961
2012 modern 802 #6,816
2013 modern 794 #7,005
2014 modern 802 #6,989
2015 modern 795 #6,969
2016 modern 765 #7,175

Geography

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Where Coveneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Havering and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Minster Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 006 Medway
2 Havering 030 Havering
3 Medway 004 Medway
4 Central Bedfordshire 010 Central Bedfordshire
5 Medway 020 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coveney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coveney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coveney, 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 Coveney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Coveney 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Coveney is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coveney is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coveney falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coveney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Coveney

The surname Coveney originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cov", meaning a small hollow or recess, and "ey", which denotes an island or area of dry land surrounded by water or marshes. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small cove or inlet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coveney appears in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1197, which mentions a person named "William de Coveneye". This suggests that the surname was already established and associated with a specific location by that time.

The Coveney surname is closely linked to the village of Coveney in Cambridgeshire, located near the Isle of Ely. Historical records indicate that the village's name was originally spelled as "Coveneye" or "Coveneia" in the Domesday Book of 1086, further reinforcing the connection between the place name and the surname.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Roger de Coveney was mentioned in various legal documents and records related to land transactions in Cambridgeshire. He was likely a prominent landowner or member of the local gentry at the time.

During the 14th century, the Coveney family was well-established in the region, as evidenced by the presence of several individuals bearing the name in various rolls and records. One such individual was John Coveney, who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire in 1388.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Thomas Coveney (c. 1500-1565) was a clergyman and the Bishop of Bangor in Wales. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was known for his support of the Protestant cause.

Another notable individual with the Coveney surname was Sir John Coveney (1601-1672), who was a successful merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1669. He was also involved in various charitable endeavors and founded almshouses in the city.

As the Coveney family spread throughout England over the centuries, the surname evolved into various spellings, such as Coveny, Coveney, Covenay, and Coveny. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual branches of the family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coveney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coveney 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. Kent leads with 235 Coveneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.02x.

County Total Index
Kent 235 15.02x
Middlesex 89 1.94x
Essex 53 5.86x
Surrey 44 1.97x
Sussex 13 1.68x
Cheshire 11 1.09x
Gloucestershire 4 0.44x
Hampshire 4 0.43x
Norfolk 4 0.57x
Lincolnshire 3 0.41x
Dorset 2 0.66x
Lancashire 2 0.04x
Warwickshire 2 0.17x
Devon 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 1.83x
Somerset 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Faversham in Kent leads with 22 Coveneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.45x.

Place Total Index
Faversham 22 147.45x
Colchester St Giles 20 223.71x
Ratcliffe London 20 78.99x
Mile End Old Town London 16 16.40x
Minster In Sheppey 15 57.87x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 15.17x
Westwell 12 764.33x
Tranmere 11 29.58x
Battersea 10 5.93x
Lympne 10 1136.36x
Bermondsey 9 6.59x
Borden 9 454.55x
Dover St Mary Virgin 9 59.45x
St Clement Danes London 9 94.84x
Upchurch 9 511.36x
Charlton 8 77.00x
Lower Halstow 8 707.96x
Challock 7 1250.00x
Hackney London 7 2.72x
Mersham 7 619.47x
St Anne Soho London 7 26.74x
St Sepulchre London 7 104.32x
Tenterden 7 126.81x
Camberwell 6 2.05x
Greenwich 6 8.22x
Headcorn 6 256.41x
Milton In Gravesend 6 25.58x
Rolvenden 6 295.57x
Teynham 6 212.77x
Brighton 5 3.21x
Broomfield 5 2000.00x
Chester St Nicholas 5 769.23x
Chilham 5 224.22x
Colchester St James 5 136.24x
Colchester St Peter 5 138.12x
Hollingbourn 5 276.24x
Maidstone 5 10.73x
Ramsgate 5 19.58x
Ashford 4 26.26x
Ashwellthorpe 4 689.66x
Bethnal Green London 4 2.01x
Bobbing 4 540.54x
Chatham 4 9.30x
Cheriton 4 62.70x
Colchester St Martin 4 242.42x
Islington London 4 0.90x
Lee 4 17.61x
Preston Next Faversham 4 108.70x
Stanford 4 869.57x
Clifton 3 6.60x
Colchester St Botolph 3 38.96x
Colchester St Mary 3 361.45x
Great Grimsby 3 6.45x
Hanwell 3 36.90x
Hastings St Mary In The 3 18.19x
Iwade 3 810.81x
Loose 3 130.43x
Northiam 3 157.89x
Shoreditch London 3 1.51x
Barking 2 7.55x
Birmingham 2 0.52x
Colchester St Leonard 2 68.73x
Dover St James 2 29.15x
Gillingham 2 6.20x
Lambeth 2 0.50x
Liverpool 2 0.61x
Milton In Milton 2 30.08x
Portland 2 12.36x
Portsea 2 1.09x
Rainham 2 46.51x
West Ham 2 1.00x
Erith 1 6.49x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 17.54x
Royal Navy 1 2.14x
St Giles In Fields London 1 4.45x
St Luke London 1 1.36x
Stoke Damerel 1 1.50x
Stoke Newington London 1 2.80x
Wanstead 1 6.31x
Wateringbury 1 49.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 21
James 15
George 13
Henry 11
Thomas 11
Frederick 10
Alfred 9
Edward 9
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Daniel 6
Walter 6
Albert 5
Frank 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Harry 4
Benjamin 3
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Abraham 2
David 2
Geo. 2
Percy 2
Timothy 2
Allen 1
Bryan 1
Clarence 1
Duncan 1
Edwd. 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jane 1
Jeremiah 1
Jessie 1
Jos. 1
Lawrance 1
Matthew 1
Pilcher 1
Sidney 1
Soloman 1
Stephen 1
Wm.F. 1

FAQ

Coveney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coveney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 468 people were recorded with the Coveney surname. That placed it at #7,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coveney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 765 in 2016. That gives Coveney a modern rank of #7,175.

What does the Coveney surname mean?

A locational surname indicating one from the place called Coveney.

What does the Coveney map show?

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