NameCensus.

UK surname

Coverdale

A topographic surname indicating someone who lived in a valley or dale.

In the 1881 census there were 819 people recorded with the Coverdale surname, ranking it #4,576 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,064, ranked #5,491, down from #4,576 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead and Stranton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, County Durham and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coverdale is 1,117 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.9%.

1881 census count

819

Ranked #4,576

Modern count

1,064

2016, ranked #5,491

Peak year

2010

1,117 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coverdale had 819 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,576 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,064 in 2016, ranked #5,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,086 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Coverdale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coverdale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coverdale 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 507 #4,933
1861 historical 602 #4,399
1881 historical 819 #4,576
1891 historical 921 #4,487
1901 historical 1,014 #4,703
1911 historical 1,086 #4,271
1997 modern 1,033 #5,342
1998 modern 1,068 #5,379
1999 modern 1,080 #5,362
2000 modern 1,075 #5,361
2001 modern 1,069 #5,291
2002 modern 1,092 #5,302
2003 modern 1,071 #5,289
2004 modern 1,053 #5,372
2005 modern 1,034 #5,391
2006 modern 1,047 #5,362
2007 modern 1,043 #5,429
2008 modern 1,032 #5,510
2009 modern 1,061 #5,497
2010 modern 1,117 #5,368
2011 modern 1,091 #5,416
2012 modern 1,082 #5,362
2013 modern 1,099 #5,376
2014 modern 1,094 #5,420
2015 modern 1,069 #5,480
2016 modern 1,064 #5,491

Geography

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Where Coverdales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead, Stranton, Danby and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, County Durham, Scarborough and Middlesbrough. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Stranton Durham
4 Danby Yorkshire, North Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
2 County Durham 039 County Durham
3 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
4 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
5 Scarborough 001 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coverdale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coverdale

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Coverdale 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

Coverdale is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coverdale 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 Coverdale 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Coverdale

The surname Coverdale originates from England and can be traced back to the late 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Coverdale in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The name is composed of the Old English words "cofer" meaning a small valley or recess, and "dæl" meaning a valley or dale.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coverdale appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John de Coverdale is listed. The Coverdale family was prominent in the area around the village of Coverdale during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, Miles Coverdale (1488-1568) was a notable figure associated with this surname. He was an English biblical translator who produced the first complete printed translation of the Bible into English in 1535, known as the Coverdale Bible.

Another notable Coverdale was Robert Coverdale (1563-1648), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1635 to 1648.

In the 17th century, Richard Coverdale (1601-1671) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire in 1640.

William Coverdale (1670-1739) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Horningsheath in Suffolk and was a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Samuel Coverdale (1718-1787) was an English dissenting minister and writer who published several theological works, including "The Christian Messenger" and "The Christian's Pocket Library."

While the Coverdale surname has its roots in the Yorkshire region, it has since spread across England and beyond, with bearers of this name found in various parts of the world today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coverdale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coverdale 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. Yorkshire leads with 460 Coverdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.80x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 460 5.80x
Durham 205 8.61x
Lincolnshire 38 2.97x
Middlesex 34 0.43x
Surrey 31 0.80x
Essex 11 0.70x
Hampshire 6 0.37x
Cornwall 5 0.55x
Cumberland 5 0.73x
Northumberland 5 0.42x
Kent 4 0.15x
Leicestershire 4 0.45x
Lancashire 3 0.03x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.55x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 60 Coverdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.13x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 60 58.13x
Stranton 47 58.67x
South Shields 42 198.11x
Cottingham 39 228.34x
Darlington 30 32.65x
Holy Trinity 22 11.54x
Danby 21 656.25x
Linthorpe 21 44.40x
Stockton On Tees 18 15.69x
Newington 15 5.08x
Pickering 14 140.28x
Kirkleatham 13 121.50x
Louth 12 40.94x
Sculcoates 12 9.55x
Ingatestone 11 433.07x
Westoe 10 7.41x
Enfield 9 17.15x
Ainderby Steeple 8 1311.48x
Allerston 8 655.74x
Brandon Byshottles 8 26.84x
Cleethorpes 8 106.38x
Danby Commondale 8 919.54x
Hartlepool 8 23.65x
Sedgefield 8 94.34x
Sutton Stoneferry 8 35.27x
Baildon 7 46.89x
Beverley St Martin 7 52.91x
Kirkby Moorside 7 138.61x
Leeds 7 1.56x
Seaton Carew 7 146.14x
Thwing 7 583.33x
Wingate 7 42.92x
Allerthorpe 6 1463.41x
Beverley St Nicholas 6 92.31x
Farmanby 6 444.44x
Harwood Dale 6 1016.95x
Hollym 6 845.07x
Huntington 6 372.67x
Mile End Old Town London 6 3.52x
Normanby In 6 28.32x
Skinningrove 6 123.46x
Tetney 6 271.49x
Wetwang 6 350.88x
Whenby 6 2000.00x
Willington 6 43.64x
Ashby Cum Fenby 5 694.44x
Blacktoft 5 549.45x
Croydon 5 2.31x
Godstone 5 71.63x
Illogan 5 20.85x
Pannal 5 65.70x
Tottenham 5 3.92x
Workington 5 12.68x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.15x
Cleckheaton 4 13.70x
Eston 4 23.18x
Farndale West Side 4 1428.57x
Great Grimsby 4 4.93x
Harome 4 333.33x
Helmsley 4 94.12x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.85x
Nafferton 4 118.34x
Pockley 4 769.23x
Shoreditch London 4 1.15x
South Milford 4 138.41x
Welburn In Helmsley 4 1111.11x
Easingwold 3 53.57x
Hutton Henry 3 59.88x
Hutton Rudby 3 126.58x
Lambeth 3 0.43x
Sheffield 3 1.19x
Skiplam 3 1764.71x
Southampton St Mary 3 2.91x
Southowram 3 12.40x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 1.86x
Sowerby In Thirsk 3 62.89x
Throston 3 65.65x
Ovenden 2 5.67x
St George In East London 2 2.66x
Weaverthorpe 2 113.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 59
William 59
Thomas 38
Robert 29
George 28
Henry 17
James 12
Joseph 11
Richard 9
Edward 8
Alfred 6
Frederick 6
Robt. 6
Charles 5
Walter 5
Albert 4
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Matthew 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Harold 3
Miles 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Christopher 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Mark 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Alick 1
Allen 1
Barker 1
Bernard 1
Burton 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Joe 1
Jonath. 1
Jonathan 1
Lambert 1
Lancelot 1
Michael 1

FAQ

Coverdale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coverdale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 819 people were recorded with the Coverdale surname. That placed it at #4,576 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coverdale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,064 in 2016. That gives Coverdale a modern rank of #5,491.

What does the Coverdale surname mean?

A topographic surname indicating someone who lived in a valley or dale.

What does the Coverdale map show?

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