Find out how popular the last name Bove is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bove.

Bove, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bove surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bove in America

Bove is the 8562nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bove surname appeared 3,847 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bove.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bove to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bove

The surname Bove originated in Italy, deriving from the Italian word "bove," which means "ox" or "bull." This occupational surname likely referred to someone who worked with oxen, such as a farmer, plowman, or cattle herder.

The earliest known record of the Bove surname dates back to the 13th century in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. In these areas, the name was initially spelled "Bove" or variations like "Bovi" and "Bua."

In the 14th century, the name Bove appeared in various manuscripts and records from southern Italy. For instance, a certain Tommaso Bove was mentioned in a legal document from Naples in 1342.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Bove surname was Andrea Bove, a landowner and cattle breeder who lived in the town of Eboli, near Salerno, in the late 15th century.

During the Renaissance period, several members of the Bove family gained prominence. Girolamo Bove (1515-1592) was a renowned architect and military engineer from Naples who worked on fortifications and public buildings throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the Bove surname spread to other parts of Italy, including the region of Lazio. A notable figure from this period was Vincenzo Bove (1633-1708), a painter and architect from Rome who worked on churches and palaces in the city.

Another prominent bearer of the Bove name was Giuseppe Bove (1770-1846), a Neapolitan lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the Napoleonic parliament and later as a judge.

In the 19th century, Pietro Bove (1811-1887) was a renowned Italian explorer and geographer who participated in several expeditions to Africa and the Middle East. He served as the director of the Istituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica in Rome.

Lastly, Camillo Bove (1887-1965) was an Italian writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories, including the acclaimed work "Il Pianeta Irritabile" (The Irritable Planet).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bove

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bove.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bove was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bove has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bove was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bove, please contact us.

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