The Covey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,414 people carried this name — #4,212 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 35,100 people counted. That is down 1% from 8,495 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Covey surname

Reduced form of McCovey.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Covey» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 141 people named Covey live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 118
City of Buenos Aires 13
Córdoba 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

27 families named Covey, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 161 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 7
Connecticut 6
North Carolina 5
Maryland 3
Vermont 2
South Carolina 2
Maine 1
Massachusetts 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 235 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Covey in American newspapers,
1907–1917.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Covey
Daily Kennebec Journal 1907-06-10
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Covey
The Sun 1914-03-19
Newspaper page from The Daily Missoulian carrying the name Covey
The Daily Missoulian 1917-10-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Covey in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1970s.

630 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Covey. The most, 118, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 234
New South Wales 206
Victoria 80
South Australia 45
Western Australia 40
Tasmania 17
ACT (Canberra) 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Covey.

Who carried it

People named Covey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Arthur Covey
    Arthur Covey 1877–1960 · painter
  • Stephen Covey
    Stephen Covey 1932–2012 · writer
  • Edward Covey 1806–1906 · slave driver
  • Mary Jane Warren Farrington 1839–1916
  • F. R. Covey 1868–1951 · military officer
  • Alfred Dale Covey 1869–1930 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Covey,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States592 records

592 records of the Covey name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 294
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 104
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 84
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 44
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 33
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 12
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 7
  • Sacramento County historic burials 7
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 7
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jerry K. Covey

    Born 1946; from Muskogee, Oklahoma. U.S. Army, artillery mechanic; died in an accident 1967 in South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Henry I. Covey

    Born 1899 in Wisconsin. Enlisted 1942 at Portland, Oregon; nursery from Marion County, Oregon. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1966, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Luisa Covey

    Arrived at New York in 1905 aboard the Koenig Albert from Genoa and Gibraltar, aged 25; merchant. From S Pier Niceta, Messina, Italy.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 592 records for Covey in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada540 records

540 records of the Covey name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 510
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 21
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record May Covey

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917; buried at St John's Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Donald Martin Covey

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William George Covey

    Died 1952 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 540 records for Covey in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia59 records

59 records of the Covey name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 32
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 15
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 8
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Cath Covey

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Wanata, aged 31; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard John Covey

    Farmer of Hastings, Victoria; died 1980.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elizabeth Covey

    Died 1885 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 25.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 59 records for Covey in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France5 records

5 records of the Covey name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Julia Anna Covey

    Born 1906 in Montesson; died 1986 in Meulan (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Albert Ernest Covey

    Born 1913 in Villers-sous-Foucarmont (Seine-Maritime); died 2000 in Montbrison (Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Joelle Lucienne Covey

    Born 1950 in Chalain-le-Comtal; died 1988 in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert (Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Covey in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Covey name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Covey

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. G. Covey

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Covey name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ellen Covey

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1820 in Birmingham England.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Covey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Covey is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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