2000
#14,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Gover
An occupational surname referring to a local governor or overseer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,171 Americans carry the last name Gover. That puts it at #14,988 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gover 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 Gover with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,879
Census rank
#14,988
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,893 bearers of the surname Gover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14988th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gover, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gover
The surname Gover is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an old English word "gover" or "gofair," which referred to a person who was a landowner or landholder. The name may have been initially used to identify individuals who held a significant amount of property or land.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Gover can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
The Gover surname is primarily associated with the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in the southwest of England. Some early variations of the spelling include Gofer, Gofair, and Goffer, which further supports the connection to the old English word "gover."
One notable individual with the surname Gover was Sir Richard Gover, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1495). He held significant estates in Gloucestershire and served as Sheriff of the county.
Another historical figure was John Gover, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Wiltshire who lived during the 16th century (c. 1510-1580). He was involved in the wool trade and is recorded as having owned several properties in the region.
In the 17th century, Thomas Gover (c. 1620-1692) was a prominent Puritan minister and author from Somerset. He wrote several religious treatises and served as the vicar of various parishes in the area.
During the 18th century, William Gover (c. 1720-1795) was a successful businessman and landowner based in Gloucestershire. He amassed a considerable fortune through his agricultural and commercial ventures.
Another notable individual was Elizabeth Gover (c. 1780-1845), a philanthropist and social reformer from Wiltshire. She was known for her efforts in improving the living conditions of the poor and establishing schools for underprivileged children.
While the Gover surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the southwestern counties of England, where it was closely associated with landownership and property holdings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gover
Among Census respondents with the surname Gover, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gover 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 Gover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 1,380
- Black or African American11.7% · 221
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 182
- Two or more races3.3% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gover
Gover 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
#15,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,923
-5 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,007 places
2020
#14,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,893
-30 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,265 | 1,928 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,272 | 1,923 | 0.65 | -5 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 1,007 places |
| 2020 | #14,988 | 1,893 | 0.63 | -30 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 284 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 Gover 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 | #15,272 | #14,988 | 1.9% |
| Count | 1,923 | 1,893 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.63 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gover bearers went from 1,923 to 1,893 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,272 to #14,988.
FAQ
Gover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gover?
Name Census estimates that about 2,171 living Americans carry the surname Gover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,879 residents.
How common is Gover?
Gover ranks #14,988 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,893 people with the surname Gover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Gover.
Has Gover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gover went from 1,923 recorded bearers to 1,893. That is a decrease of 30 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,272 to #14,988.
What does the Census say about the background of Gover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gover, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Gover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (1,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Black (11.7%), Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Gover (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 Gover mean?
An occupational surname referring to a local governor or overseer. 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 Gover (0.63 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 Gover?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Gover? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.