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

Hover, 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 Hover surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hover in America

Hover is the 12218th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hover surname appeared 2,548 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 Hover.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hover 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 Hover

The surname Hover is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "hover," which means "small landowner" or "farmer." The name first emerged in the 12th century in the region of Bavaria, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.

In medieval Germany, the Hover name was associated with landowners who held small estates or farms. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in a document from 1247, which mentions a Johannes Hover from the town of Augsburg.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Hover family spread across various parts of southern Germany, including the regions of Swabia and Franconia. They were often identified by their place of origin, leading to variations such as Hoferhof and Hoverhausen.

The Hover name gained prominence in the 15th century when Hans Hover (1435-1498), a renowned architect and stonemason, designed several churches and public buildings in Nuremberg and other cities in Franconia. His works are considered significant examples of late Gothic architecture in Germany.

Another notable figure was Johann Hover (1564-1628), a German theologian and reformer who played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation. He served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg and was involved in the drafting of the Heidelberg Catechism, a seminal document of the Reformed tradition.

In the 17th century, the Hover family spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, which mention the marriage of William Hover in 1632.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several Hover families emigrated to North America, contributing to the spread of the name across the United States and Canada. Notable individuals include William Hover (1779-1859), a farmer and politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives, and John Hover (1825-1896), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hover

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

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 Hover 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 Hover 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 Hover was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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