COVERDALE
Coverdale is an English surname that originates as a topographic or locational name. The first element, cover, denotes a shelter or protection, while the second element, dale, means a valley. Consequently, the name has been interpreted as describing a sheltered valley or protected valley, and it was typically given to those who lived in or near such a valley.
The place that gave rise to the surname is recorded as Coverdal in the Feet of Fines of the North Riding of Yorkshire in 1202. The valley is associated with a small river, historically referred to as Cover or Cobre in an 1130 charter. The river’s name is derived from the Welsh cau meaning “hollow” and bero meaning “rill”, thus the valley is effectively the “valley of the river Cover”.
The earliest surviving witness of the family name is that of Reginald de Coverdall, dated 1245 in the Fine Court Rolls of Lincolnshire, during the reign of King Henry III. Subsequent medieval records include a Thomas de Coverdale listed in the Yorkshire Subsidy Rolls of 1297, and a John Couerdale mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379.
Church registers from Danby in Cleveland chronicled several members of the family in the late 16th century. Notable entries are that of Stephanus Coverdale, married to Francisca Fisher on 4 May 1591; Jacobus Coverdale, married to Agnes Agar on 8 July 1591; the christening of Richus, son of Jacobi Coverdale, on 28 November 1591; and the christening of Alicea, daughter of Stephani Coverdale, on 4 May 1592.
In contemporary England, the surname is most strongly associated with the North East, particularly North Yorkshire. While the name remains common in that region, it is also found across the United Kingdom. Diasporic communities have established the name abroad, notably in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa, where historical migration in the 19th and early 20th centuries spread the surname.
Several variants of the surname exist, reflecting historical spelling variations. These include Coveldale, Coverdall, Coverdill, Coerdale, Coverdell, Coverdal, Coversdall, Coverdle and Coversdale.
The name is occasionally noted in popular culture; for instance, the English musician David Coverdale, known for his work with the band Whitesnake, bears the surname, which continues to be associated with individuals who carry on a tradition of commitment and professional endeavour.
Typical given names associated with the Coverdale surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Anna
- Carole
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Judith
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Susan
- Tracey
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Coverdale in...
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,522 people named Coverdale in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,293rd most common surname in Britain. Around 23 in a million people in Britain are named Coverdale.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Coverdale
- David Coverdale - Singer
- Paul Coverdale - Cricketer
- Stephen Coverdale - County cricketer and administrator
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.