Stover
Miller who operates a stove or kiln for drying grain.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Stover. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Stover today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stover births was 1951 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stover. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Stover is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Stovers were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Stover. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1951
5 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1951 SSA rank
#4,195
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Stover: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Stover by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Stover during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Stover
The name Stover is believed to have originated from the Old English word "stōfer," which means "stove" or "furnace." It is likely a surname that later became used as a given name. The name has its roots in England and can be traced back to the 13th century.
Stover is thought to have been an occupational surname originally given to individuals who worked with or near stoves or furnaces, such as blacksmiths or bakers. The name may have also been used to refer to those who lived near a furnace or kiln.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stover can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, England, from 1273, which mentions a person named John le Stovere. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Richard le Stover.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Stover. One of the earliest was Stover Browne (1591-1668), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Reading.
Another notable Stover was Stover Paxton (1750-1824), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in what is now West Virginia. He is known for his involvement in the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.
In the 19th century, Stover Holden (1810-1885) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Missouri who served as a judge and as a member of the Missouri State Senate.
One of the most famous individuals with the first name Stover was Stover D. Wilkins (1886-1966), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the A&P grocery store chain. He was also a significant donor to various educational institutions.
Another well-known Stover was Stover E. Wolfe (1903-1983), an American baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Braves in the 1920s and 1930s.
While not as common as some other names, Stover has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting its origins as an occupational surname in England.
People
Stover + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stover as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Stover: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stover?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stover going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Stover a common name?
We classify Stover as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stover most popular?
The single biggest year for Stover was 1951, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stover is about 86 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Stover in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Stover a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stover in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Stover still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Stover in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Stover can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Stover?
See how many people have the name Stover on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.