Slove last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Slove

A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "sloh" meaning a muddy place or hollow.

Slove, 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 Slove surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Slove in America

Slove is the 127948th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Slove surname appeared 123 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Slove.

The history of the last name Slove

The surname Slove has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the region that is now part of modern-day Slovenia and Slovakia. The name first began to appear in the historical records of the 13th century. Derived from the Slavic root word "slovo," which means "word" or "speech," the name initially indicated someone who was a prominent speaker or a storyteller within the community. This is likely linked to the important cultural role that oral traditions and folklore held in Slavic societies.

Early records of the surname Slove can be found in medieval manuscripts that cataloged property ownership and notable town residents. One of the earliest instances of the name dates back to a 1324 land grant in what was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now present-day Slovakia. An individual named Petro Slove was recorded as a landowner in this period, emphasizing the social and economic status sometimes associated with the name.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in the Hussite Wars (1419-1434) documents, where a military leader named Ján Slove played a notable role. The usage of the name in historical military records suggests that members of the Slove family were involved in significant regional conflicts and may have held positions of leadership or influence.

Moving into the Renaissance period, the name Slove was listed in administrative documents in the Republic of Venice, which had expanded its influence into the Eastern Adriatic Coast, including parts of Slovenia. An individual named Marco Antonio Slove is documented in Venetian trade records from 1507, indicating that the surname had begun to spread beyond its original geographic confines, partly due to mercantile activities.

During the 17th century, another historically significant figure bearing the surname emerged—Miroslav Slove, a renowned poet and scholar who contributed to the revival of Slavic cultural heritage. Born in 1623 and passing in 1688, Miroslav is credited with several literary works that sought to preserve and celebrate Slavic languages and traditions at a time when they were under threat from larger empires.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the Slove surname had appeared in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Records from the 1802 census in what is now Slovenia include a family of Sloves who were significant local figures in trade and agriculture. At this point, the surname’s associations with both literacy and social stature continued.

In addition to these historical accounts, the surname has also been documented elsewhere in Europe, often with slight variations in spelling due to transliteration. For example, a notable 19th-century figure was Ivan Šlove, an educator and reformer in the Russian Empire, born in 1810 and dying in 1875. His contributions to educational reforms left a lasting impact in the region.

Throughout history, the surname Slove has been connected to individuals who occupied diverse roles in society, from military leaders to scholars, landowners, and merchants, reflecting the historical and cultural evolution of the regions where the name emerged and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Slove

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Slove was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.56% 120
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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