The Covington surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 27,068 people carried this name — #1,298 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 10,900 people counted. That is up 7% from 25,403 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Covington surname

An English habitational surname from the village in England.

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

In the first U.S. census, 1790

41 families named Covington, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 247 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. 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

North Carolina 14
Virginia 12
Maryland 10
South Carolina 4
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

Covington in American newspapers,
1917–1918.

Newspaper page from The Covington Leader carrying the name Covington
The Covington Leader 1917-08-02
Newspaper page from The Covington Leader carrying the name Covington
The Covington Leader 1918-06-13
Newspaper page from The Covington Leader carrying the name Covington
The Covington Leader 1918-06-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 358,826 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Covington in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

2,755 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Covington. The most, 536, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,655
Queensland 784
Victoria 182
South Australia 81
ACT (Canberra) 21
Western Australia 14
Tasmania 10

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

Who carried it

People named Covington,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Leonard Covington
    Leonard Covington 1768–1813 · politician
  • Syms Covington
    Syms Covington 1816–1861
  • Virginia Durant Young
    Virginia Durant Young 1842–1906 · writer
  • Rebecca Mackall 1729–
  • Samuel Fulton Covington 1819–1889
  • Terrell Covington 1831–1915

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Covington,
in the records of 5 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 States1,322 records

1,322 records of the Covington name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 804
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 403
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 50
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 25
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 24
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 8
  • Sacramento County historic burials 4
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Rory A. Covington

    Born 1948; from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, combat engineer; killed in action 1968 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Philadelphia National Cemetery, Pennsylvania.

    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 Elijah D. Covington

    Born 1926 in Illinois. Enlisted 1944 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; transport worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Thomas T. Covington

    Confederate Army veteran. Born 1844, died 1864; buried at Hollywood Cemetery Co, Richmond, Virginia.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,322 records for Covington in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). 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); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia22 records

22 records of the Covington name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 7
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 4
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 4
  • Tasmanian Names Index 4
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 3
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Hannah Covington

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Woodbridge, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Shadwell, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Covington

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Alipore, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Walter L. Covington

    Former council employee of L Ferntree Gully, Victoria; died 1954.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Covington in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); 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).

Canada14 records

14 records of the Covington name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 3
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Covington

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Albert L. Covington

    Died 1920; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Covington

    Died 1867 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 14 records for Covington in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Covington name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Covington

    Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 1 of 2 records for Covington in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 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 Covington name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Joseph Edwin Covington

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1898 in Americus (Georgia).

    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 Covington.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Covington 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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