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Cove Family History

Cove Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name from a place called (the) Cove examples of which are found in Hampshire Wilts (a minor name in Leigh) Devon and Suffolk all from Old English cofa which is recorded in literary sources with the sense ‘enclosed chamber’ but in placenames probably with extended senses such as ‘shelter hut building’ ‘hollow’ (in the case of the Devon name) and ‘creek inlet’ (in the case of the Suffolk name).

nickname from Middle English cof cove ‘eager bold courageous’ (Old English cāf).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Cove family from?

You can see how Cove families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cove family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cove families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 193 Cove families living in London. This was about 25% of all the recorded Cove's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cove families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cove surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cove ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Retired and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cove. 12% of Cove men worked as a Retired and 77% of Cove women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cove were General Labourer and Shorthand Typist.

View Census Data for Cove | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Retired
    12%
  • Lorry Driver
    12%
  • Bricklayer
    9%
  • General Labourer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Shorthand Typist
    2%

What Cove family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Cove. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cove census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cove

Passenger Lists

There are 101,000 immigration records available for the last name Cove. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cove immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Cove. For the veterans among your Cove ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cove military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cove family history

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What is the average Cove lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Cove life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Cove in 1960 was 31, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cove

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cove ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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