Fun Facts About the Name Cove
- More than 1 thousand babies named Cove: U.S. records list 1,693 babies given the name Cove from 1880 through 2025. Even 472 girls received the name Cove - about 1 girl for every 3 boys.
What Does the Name Cove Mean?
Cove is an English word name taken from the ordinary noun cove, meaning a small, sheltered inlet or bay. The noun descends from Old English cofa, which meant a chamber, den, or recess - a covered, sheltered space. Over time the word came to be applied to the sheltered water of a bay, and it is that geographic sense that supplies the name.
Symbolic readings of the name as suggesting safety, refuge, or a protected place are later associations built on the modern meaning, not part of the etymology. The British slang word cove, meaning a man or fellow (often a rogue), entered English from Romani and is unrelated to the landscape term; the two words merely look alike.
Cove Name History & Origins
The word has been in English since the Old English period, when cofa meant a recess, den, or small chamber. The sense of a small, sheltered bay developed in later English, and it is the meaning the name draws on.
Cove is one of the English vocabulary names - like Brook and Dale - that use a landscape word directly for a person. It is used chiefly in the English-speaking world and is far less common than most of those older word names. Cove also appears as an English surname and as an element in British coastal place names, but the given name normally rests on the landscape noun rather than on a family name.
How Popular is the Name Cove?
Cove has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,192 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,933 | 100 | 0.0062% |
| 2024 | #2,279 | 81 | 0.0050% |
| 2023 | #2,063 | 94 | 0.0059% |
| 2022 | #2,320 | 80 | 0.0049% |
| 2021 | #3,752 | 40 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #4,786 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #7,438 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #10,756 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #11,893 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #13,218 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #17,039 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #14,992 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,192 | 171 | 0.0100% |
| 2024 | #1,207 | 167 | 0.0097% |
| 2023 | #1,319 | 144 | 0.0084% |
| 2022 | #1,381 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 2021 | #2,041 | 72 | 0.0041% |
| 2020 | #1,980 | 72 | 0.0042% |
| 2019 | #1,826 | 83 | 0.0046% |
| 2018 | #2,307 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2017 | #2,495 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 2016 | #2,732 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2015 | #2,415 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2014 | #4,420 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #3,676 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2012 | #3,731 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #4,849 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2010 | #5,527 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #7,315 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #5,823 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #12,716 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #12,393 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #9,132 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #11,213 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,897 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,537 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Cove Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Cove's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cove's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.