The baby name Cove is a rare nature name with plenty of potential.
Thanks to SJ for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME COVE MEAN?
A cove is a body of water, either an inlet or small bay. It’s typically sheltered, and can be quite small – sometimes little more than a protected recess.
There’s a second use of the term, to describe a small valley, used primarily along the Appalachian Trail, presumably evolved from the original sense.
The word comes from the Old English cofa – chamber – via an older word meaning tent or hut.
Meet someone with the surname, and odds are their ancestor once lived near a cofa.
There’s a second meaning. It’s archaic now, but cove was once the equivalent of bloke, dude, fellow, chap – a slang term for a guy. It’s said be from a Romani word, but it doesn’t appear to be a Romani given name.
NAMES INSPIRED BY WATER
The baby name Cove fits nicely with our love of names inspired by nature. Water names like River and Ocean are popular. Surnames with subtle ties, like Parker or Wilder, also appeal.
COLE MEETS RIVER
Speaking of River, Cove also succeeds on sound.
It combines the long O of popular names like Cole, Owen, and Noah with the V of River, Levi, and Oliver.
Like Cole, Cove would be just one-syllable. It fits with classic Jack and Luke. Like Kai and Crew, it’s associated with the water, too. If these similar names succeed, could Cove be the next on trend choice?
SIGNIFICANT PLACES NAMED COVE
The iconic Sydney Harbour, home to the soaring opera house and distinctive bridge, is also the location of Sydney Cove. The cove was the actual landing site of the First Fleet in 1788.
Worth noting: the First Fleet was on aboriginal land. Sydney Cove is also known as Warrane, the traditional name in the indigenous language of the Eora or Cadigal people, who resided in the area before the European settlers’ arrival and continue to shape Australia today.
Many geographical coves aren’t called coves at all, but other places with the name include:
- Shark Fin Cove, south of San Francisco, California and nearby Kirby Cove
- There’s Toms Cove in Virginia and Thoms Cove in Maryland
- More than one Smith Cove exists, on the east and west coasts of the United States
- Scotland’s Achmelvich Cove and Cornwall’s Porth Joke Cove
- Greece gives us Shipwreck Cove
- New Zealand’s Cathedral Cove has featured in movies, including The Chronicles of Narnia
The list goes on.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME COVE?
Parents have been taking baby name inspiration from nature for generations, but it’s really picked up in the last few decades.
According the US Social Security Administration data, five boys were named Cove in 1997, marking the name’s SSA debut. It has yet to be given to enough boys to rank in the US Top 1000. As of 2023, 144 boys received the name. (The threshold to rank for 2023 was at least 219.)
It’s also been used as a girl’s name, just like River and Ocean.
Six girls received the name in 2014, marking the name’s debut in the SSA data. As of 2023, 93 girls received the name.
One possible reason Cove is trending as a girl’s name? YouTuber Aspyn Ovard and her now ex-husband are the parents of daughters Cove, Lola, and a third whose name has not been officially confirmed, but is rumored to be Elle. Cove was born in 2019, and there’s a clear uptick in the name’s use for girls after that date.
Worth noting: the name did not decrease in use after Covid-19 hit, even though the pandemic might’ve given some parents pause.
It’s also recently entered the Top 1000 in England and Wales.
FRESH NATURE NAME
There’s a peaceful image to the baby name Cove. Like other nature names, it can suggest tranquility, but also adventure. It’s a fun, distinctive choice with an on-trend, cool sound.
It fits nicely with popular choices like Levi and Rowan, Ava and Willow. And it might make the perfect middle name for parents seeking something just a little different.
Overall, it’s a fresh nature name with unisex potential, the kind of name that’s equal parts surprising and just familiar enough to wear well.
What do you think of the baby name Cove?
First published on May 30, 2012, this post was revised on March 27, 2025.
My little girl is 2 and half and her name is Cove, i never heard of it before and only after id had her did i realise that it was more used as a boys name! My daughter really suits her name and although i do get the odd look when people ask me her name, i love it just as much as the day i choose to name her it!
I named my son Cove in 2008. I thought he was the only one until I read this! I just love the name. My daughter is named Ever. Cove and Ever. They go really well together and they really suit my children as they both have fantastic and quirky personalities.
My son’s name is Cove, he was born in 2011, his full name is Cove Linden Lockhart. We call him Covey most of the time. My husband is Australian, and we loved that his name had ties to his childhood growing up on the ocean. We were inspired when we met another boy about 5 years ago called “Covell” but they called him Cove for short. By absolute chance, and friend of a friend of my husband’s had a baby boy in Australia within 24 hours of my sons birth, and named him Cove as well. It was pretty crazy, and they have many mutual friends, but have never met, and we did not let anyone know our name choices before he was born.
I love his name, and I will always love it, it just fits him so well, and it’s calming and mystical all at once. The only downside is the ugly face old people make when they hear it (stupid old people…) and I have to spell it for people otherwise they think I’m saying Cobe (Cobe… that’s a dumb name) or Cole, or Cody.
GREAT name, Karalyn! And having to repeat is one of the downsides of unusual names – but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth the occasional hassle.
Our son was born Oct. 2006 and we named him Cove Robert Allen (two middle names in honor of family member.) When we shared his name prior to his birth people either loved it or hated it. I usually get “Wow. I love that name!” i’m glad our son is not alone in his unique name. 🙂
My first son is named Cove and we absolutely love the name. It suits him very well, was easy for him to learn to write, and is distinct without being weird.
Coming to this a bit late, but my 7 month old son is called Cobh (Irish for “Cove”). It is also a place name here in Ireland and happens to be the last port of call of the Titanic. Since my husband’s dad worked in the shipyard where the Titanic was built it seemed a fitting choice in this centenary year! We’ve had positive reactions to the name. He really suits it. There is also an Irish name Cobhan (pronounced cov-ann) meaning dweller of the hillside hollow.
Cool story – and what a great name! Thanks for sharing, JCB.
I like the name Cove but not sure my husband would go for it. I know a little girl named Harbor and my cousin (boy) is named Bay. Love both those names!
Cove is cool and fresh!
Cove (boy) and Harbor (girl) would be an amazing sibset. Maybe too matchy-matchy, but somehow I still love it.
Thank you for doing this pleasant review on Cove. It was a name suggestion from my sister and made the short list for our son that came two days before this review. Since I was partial to more than one name for our selection, it was my husbands true love for Elwood that won for first name. We named him Elwood Cove Nelson, brother to Oakley Scott and Georgia Lea. He has both an old and new nature name that I hope he will like. We are in the early days of getting used to our final selection, receiving mostly positive, intrigued or neutral feedback. He’s beautiful, healthy and we are thrilled to have him join our family.
I have enjoyed reading this blog for the last several months and think I have formed a new name fascination and slight addiction…thank you, you’re writing is that good : ). Looking forward to reading more in the days and months to come.
I love the name of your son!!! I have been keeping my eye on the name Elwood for a while and after I read about Cove it was one of my new favorite names too. Congrats!!
Thank you! I wonder how many other things we would have in common based on our name preferences?!
Your children have beautiful names 🙂