NameCensus.

UK surname

Hove

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a hollow or dell.

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Hove surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 167, ranked #22,055, up from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sawley, London parishes and Llanguick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Whitehill, Luton and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hove is 185 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 215.1%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

167

2016, ranked #22,055

Peak year

2010

185 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hove had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016, ranked #22,055.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Hove surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hove surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hove 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 135 #16,651
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 86 #25,951
1901 historical 12 #32,772
1911 historical 62 #26,622
1997 modern 25 #35,261
1998 modern 37 #34,149
1999 modern 36 #34,323
2000 modern 42 #33,791
2001 modern 44 #33,490
2002 modern 74 #31,048
2003 modern 109 #26,361
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 152 #22,225
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 185 #20,453
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 165 #22,163
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 171 #21,729
2016 modern 167 #22,055

Geography

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Where Hoves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sawley, London parishes, Llanguick, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Whitehill, Luton, Hertsmere and Coventry. 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 Sawley Derbyshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Llanguick Glamorganshire
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Whitehill South Lanarkshire
2 Luton 018 Luton
3 Hertsmere 007 Hertsmere
4 Luton 017 Luton
5 Coventry 019 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hove

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hove

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Hove surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Hove 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hove 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

Hove 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

Hove 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 Hove 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
Unknown

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

Meaning and origin of Hove

The surname HOVE is of English origin, deriving from a place name in East Sussex, England. The name is believed to have emerged in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is thought to have stemmed from the Old English words "hoh" meaning "heel" or "ridge" and "ofer" meaning "bank" or "ridge," referring to the physical landscape of the area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the HOVE surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and settlements in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a settlement called "Hove" near the coastal town of Brighton.

In the 13th century, records show a person named William de Hove, whose name suggests he hailed from the village of Hove. This is one of the earliest known instances of the HOVE surname being used as a hereditary family name.

During the 14th century, variations of the spelling emerged, including Hove, Hoove, and Hofe. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differing pronunciations across England.

One notable bearer of the HOVE surname was Richard Hove, a member of the English Parliament who represented the county of Sussex in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, Thomas Hove (c. 1500-1568) was a prominent figure in the English wool trade and served as a member of the Merchant Adventurers' Company, a influential trading guild.

The 17th century saw the birth of John Hove (1630-1705), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary in Redcliffe, Bristol.

In the 18th century, the HOVE surname gained further prominence with the exploits of Captain James Hove (1720-1786), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable figure was Sir William Hove (1765-1832), a British politician and landowner who served as a member of Parliament for several constituencies in the early 19th century.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the HOVE surname throughout history, a name with roots stretching back to the Norman conquest of England and the establishment of settlements in the Sussex region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hove families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hove 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. Glamorgan leads with 9 Hoves recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.04x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 9 11.04x
Middlesex 7 1.50x
Essex 6 6.49x
Dorset 5 16.28x
Kent 5 3.13x
Staffordshire 5 3.17x
Cheshire 4 3.87x
Lancashire 3 0.54x
Surrey 2 0.88x
Gloucestershire 1 1.09x
Norfolk 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanguick in Glamorgan leads with 9 Hoves recorded in 1881 and an index of 616.44x.

Place Total Index
Llanguick 9 616.44x
Swanage 5 1315.79x
West Ham 5 24.51x
Deptford St Paul 4 32.47x
Handsworth 4 102.83x
Macclesfield 4 87.15x
Uxbridge 4 754.72x
Shoreditch London 2 9.86x
Clerkenwell London 1 9.05x
Great Bircham 1 1428.57x
Kingston On Thames 1 18.25x
Liverpool 1 2.96x
Mangotsfield 1 109.89x
Preston 1 6.73x
Puttenham 1 1428.57x
Ramsgate 1 38.31x
Rochford 1 370.37x
Walsall Foreign 1 12.25x
Wigan 1 12.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Marguerite 2
Alice 1
Aliec 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Bartha 1
Beatrice 1
Catherin 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Ida 1
Lizzie 1
Mary 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Thomas 4
George 3
Gustave 2
James 2
Robert 2
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Frederick 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Noel 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Hove surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hove surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Hove surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hove surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 167 in 2016. That gives Hove a modern rank of #22,055.

What does the Hove surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a hollow or dell.

What does the Hove map show?

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