2000
#8,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,707
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Cover
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blankets, tents, or other coverings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,125 Americans carry the last name Cover. That puts it at #8,752 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,092 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cover 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 Cover with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,092
Census rank
#8,752
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,597 bearers of the surname Cover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8752nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cover
The surname COVER has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cufre," which meant a chest or a coffer. This suggests that the name may have been originally borne by someone who made or sold such chests or coffers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1230, where a certain William le Cufere is mentioned. The presence of the French Norman prefix "le" indicates that the name had already been adopted by the Norman settlers in England after the Conquest of 1066.
The COVER name is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, where it appears as "Robert le Covere." This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time, as it adapted to the changing language and dialects of different regions.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Covere is mentioned in 1317. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial regions and was becoming more widespread across England.
One notable bearer of the COVER surname was Sir James Cover (1523-1584), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the Attorney General for the Duchy of Lancaster and was involved in several high-profile legal cases of his time.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Cover (1571-1638), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex and is known for his work in promoting education and establishing schools in the region.
In the 17th century, the COVER name can be found in various parish records, such as those of St. Giles Cripplegate in London, where the baptism of William Cover is recorded in 1628. This suggests that the name had become well-established in urban areas as well as rural regions.
Thomas Cover (1732-1806) was a notable figure from the 18th century, serving as the Mayor of Bristol in 1789. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, contributing to the establishment of several charitable institutions in the city.
As the centuries progressed, the COVER surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with families bearing this name making their mark in various fields, from politics and law to business and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cover
Among Census respondents with the surname Cover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cover 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 Cover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 3,020
- Black or African American7.1% · 257
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 161
- Two or more races3.4% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cover
Cover 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
#8,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,699
-8 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 635 places
2020
#8,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,597
-102 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,223 | 3,707 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,858 | 3,699 | 1.25 | -8 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 635 places |
| 2020 | #8,752 | 3,597 | 1.20 | -102 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 106 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 Cover 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 | #8,858 | #8,752 | 1.2% |
| Count | 3,699 | 3,597 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.20 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cover bearers went from 3,699 to 3,597 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,858 to #8,752.
FAQ
Cover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cover?
Name Census estimates that about 4,125 living Americans carry the surname Cover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,092 residents.
How common is Cover?
Cover ranks #8,752 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,597 people with the surname Cover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Cover.
Has Cover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cover went from 3,699 recorded bearers to 3,597. That is a decrease of 102 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,858 to #8,752.
What does the Census say about the background of Cover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cover, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Cover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (3,020 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (7.1%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Cover (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 Cover mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of blankets, tents, or other coverings. 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 Cover (1.20 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 are called Cover?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Cover at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.