2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ove
A surname of Scandinavian origin potentially derived from words meaning "hill" or "grave mound."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Ove. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ove 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Ove in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ove, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ove
The surname OVE is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Sweden. It can be traced back to the Old Norse language and is thought to be derived from the word "ǫfugr," which means "hostile" or "contrary."
In the Viking Age, from the 8th to the 11th century, the name OVE was likely used as a descriptive byname or nickname for someone with a fierce or hostile demeanor. These bynames were often passed down and eventually became hereditary surnames.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OVE can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book of settlements from the late 12th century. This manuscript mentions an individual named Ove Eysteinsson, who was a Norwegian settler in Iceland.
During the Middle Ages, the OVE surname spread across Scandinavia and was particularly prevalent in Norway and Sweden. Historical records from this period, such as parish registers and tax rolls, contain numerous references to individuals bearing the surname OVE.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Ove Galten (1210-1278) was a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the civil wars of Norway during the reign of King Haakon Haakonsson.
Another notable individual was Ove Gjedde (1594-1660), a Danish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor-General of Norway from 1646 to 1660. He was also the Lord of Tommerup and a member of the Danish Privy Council.
In Sweden, the OVE surname can be traced back to the 15th century, with one of the earliest recorded individuals being Ove Tordsson (1430-1490), a Swedish nobleman and landowner from the province of Östergötland.
The surname OVE was also present in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it was likely introduced through trade and migration. In the Netherlands, a notable figure was Ove Hoeck (1609-1672), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraiture and genre scenes.
Throughout history, the OVE surname has been associated with various place names and locations, including Overhallen in Norway, Overijse in Belgium, and the Danish island of Oven. These place names often derive from the Old Norse word "ǫfugr" or similar roots, reflecting the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ove
Among Census respondents with the surname Ove, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ove 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 Ove surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Black or African American8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ove
Ove 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
#110,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+38 bearers (+31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,794 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-42 bearers (-26.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #110,825 | 159 | 0.05 | +38 bearers (+31.4%) | Up 18,794 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -42 bearers (-26.4%) | Down 33,445 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 Ove 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 | #110,825 | #144,270 | -30.2% |
| Count | 159 | 117 | -26.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ove bearers went from 159 to 117 (-26.4% change). The surname moved down 33,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #110,825 to #144,270.
FAQ
Ove surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ove?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Ove. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Ove?
Ove ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Ove. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ove.
Has Ove become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ove went from 159 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 42 (-26.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #110,825 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ove?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ove, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Ove in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ove appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Black (8.5%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Ove (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 Ove mean?
A surname of Scandinavian origin potentially derived from words meaning "hill" or "grave mound." 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 Ove (0.04 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 surname Ove?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.