2000
#9,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,005
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Covell
An English habitational surname derived from places in Cambridgeshire or Oxfordshire, likely referring to a person from Covell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,264 Americans carry the last name Covell. That puts it at #10,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,011 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Covell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Covell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 105,011
Census rank
#10,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,846 bearers of the surname Covell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Covell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Covell
The surname Covell is of English origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cofa," meaning a chamber or small apartment, and the suffix "-el," which signifies a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have been used to refer to someone who lived in a small dwelling or worked in a chamber.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Covele." This document, a census of landowners and their holdings, provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time period.
The Covell surname also appears in various historical records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire from 1332, where it is spelled as "Covell." These rolls, which recorded taxes levied on the populace, offer a glimpse into the geographic spread of the name across different regions of England.
Notably, the surname is mentioned in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name is recorded as "Coveleia," which may have been an early spelling variation or a place name associated with the surname.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Covell surname have achieved notable status. One such figure was Sir Thomas Covell (c. 1548-1631), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and later became a Justice of the King's Bench. Another prominent individual was John Covell (c. 1638-1722), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
In the realm of literature, Abraham Covell (c. 1616-1692) was an English poet and translator who is best known for his translation of Virgil's works into English. Additionally, Robert Covell (c. 1575-1623) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the early 17th century.
The Covell surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Covell's Green in Cambridgeshire and Covell's Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations in England's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Covell
Among Census respondents with the surname Covell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Covell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Covell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,601
- Two or more races3.0% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 79
- Black or African American1.8% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Covell
Covell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,139
+134 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 366 places
2020
#10,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,846
-293 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 449 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,902 | 3,005 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,268 | 3,139 | 1.06 | +134 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 366 places |
| 2020 | #10,717 | 2,846 | 0.95 | -293 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 449 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Covell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,268 | #10,717 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,139 | 2,846 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.95 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Covell bearers went from 3,139 to 2,846 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 449 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,268 to #10,717.
FAQ
Covell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Covell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,264 living Americans carry the surname Covell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,011 residents.
How common is Covell?
Covell ranks #10,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,846 people with the surname Covell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,264), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Covell.
Has Covell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Covell went from 3,139 recorded bearers to 2,846. That is a decrease of 293 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,268 to #10,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Covell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Covell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Covell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,601 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Covell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Covell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Covell mean?
An English habitational surname derived from places in Cambridgeshire or Oxfordshire, likely referring to a person from Covell. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Covell (0.95 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Covell?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Covell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.