2000
#3,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,495
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.15
Rare Last name
Covey
An English occupational surname for a tender of cattle, derived from the Old French word "couver" meaning "to brood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,599 Americans carry the last name Covey. That puts it at #4,116 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,707 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Covey 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 Covey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.6K
1 in 35,707
Census rank
#4,116
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,371 bearers of the surname Covey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4116th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Covey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Covey
The surname Covey has its origins in England, where it emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period. Derived from the Old English word "cofie," meaning a small house or hut, it was likely initially given to someone who lived in or was associated with a small dwelling.
The earliest recorded instances of the Covey surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with references appearing in various historical documents and records from that time. One notable example is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a certain Simon de la Covey is mentioned in 1279.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, including Covey, Covie, Covy, and Covaye. These variations reflect the influence of local dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Covey name was John Covey, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.
During the 16th century, the Covey surname gained further recognition with the notable figure of Edward Covey, born in 1520 in Norfolk, England. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his contributions to the field of theology.
The 17th century saw the rise of another notable Covey, Thomas Covey, born in 1635 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned architect and played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the Great Fire of London in 1666.
In the 18th century, the name Covey was associated with the pioneering botanist and naturalist, William Covey (1720-1792), who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.
The 19th century brought forth the influential figure of Mary Covey (1845-1912), a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights. She was a leading figure in the suffragette movement and played a crucial role in the fight for women's suffrage in England.
While the Covey surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and exploration. However, its origins can be traced back to the small dwellings of medieval England, where the name first emerged as an occupational descriptor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Covey
Among Census respondents with the surname Covey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Covey 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 Covey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 7,466
- Two or more races4.1% · 344
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 299
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 75
- Black or African American0.9% · 74
Timeline
Historical Census data for Covey
Covey 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
#4,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,414
-81 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#4,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,371
-43 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.80
Rank movement Up 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,841 | 8,495 | 3.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,212 | 8,414 | 2.85 | -81 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #4,116 | 8,371 | 2.80 | -43 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 96 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 Covey 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 | #4,212 | #4,116 | 2.3% |
| Count | 8,414 | 8,371 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.80 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Covey bearers went from 8,414 to 8,371 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,212 to #4,116.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Covey
FAQ
Covey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Covey?
Name Census estimates that about 9,599 living Americans carry the surname Covey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,707 residents.
How common is Covey?
Covey ranks #4,116 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,371 people with the surname Covey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,599), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Covey.
Has Covey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Covey went from 8,414 recorded bearers to 8,371. That is a decrease of 43 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,212 to #4,116.
What does the Census say about the background of Covey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Covey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Covey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (7,466 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Covey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Covey (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 Covey mean?
An English occupational surname for a tender of cattle, derived from the Old French word "couver" meaning "to brood." 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 Covey (2.80 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 Americans have the surname Covey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.