Explore the Family Name Dove
The meaning of Dove
1. English: from an Old English female personal name Dūfe, from Old English dūfe ‘dove’, occasionally perhaps from Old Norse dúfa ‘dove’, used also as a byname. The name might also have been applied as a nickname for a mild and gentle person or as a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of doves. 2. Scottish: variant of Duff. 3. North German and Dutch: nickname for a deaf or dull man, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch dōf, do(o)ve. History: David James Dove was born c.1696 in Portsmouth, England, where his father was a tailor. He arrived with his wife in Philadelphia, PA, in 1750 and in 1751 opened an academy for young ladies. He was the first person in PA who attempted to supply higher education for women.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dove in the United States?
The surname Dove ranks 2,475 in popularity according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census in 2010, a slight drop from its rank of 2,351 in 2000. Despite this decrease in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname has slightly increased by 3.22% from 14,106 in 2000 to 14,560 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased by 5.54%, from 5.23 in 2000 to 4.94 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,351 | #2,475 | -5.27% |
| Count | 14,106 | 14,560 | 3.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.23 | 4.94 | -5.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dove
Based on the ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census, individuals with the surname Dove predominantly identify as White, accounting for 76.40% in 2010, a decrease of 3.77% from 2000. The next largest ethnic identity group is Black, which saw an increase from 16.87% in 2000 to 18.34% in 2010. While the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained stable at 0.45%, there were significant increases in those identifying with two or more races (up 48.09%) and Hispanic (up 47.55%). Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a substantial increase, up 38.18% to 0.76% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.39% | 76.4% | -3.77% |
| Black | 16.87% | 18.34% | 8.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.43% | 2.11% | 47.55% |
| Two or More Races | 1.31% | 1.94% | 48.09% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.76% | 38.18% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0% |
Dove ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Dove is British & Irish, which comprises 49.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.6%) and Nigerian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Eastern European, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.1% |
| French & German | 26.6% |
| Nigerian | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Dove
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Dove have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.10% |
What Dove haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Dove is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-F2642, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Shell, Harvey, Knight, Dennis, Ott, Nash, Weber, Keller, Bowers, Weaver.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dove surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Dove have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Dove" Surname 47.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Dove" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dove" Surname 30.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Dove" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dove?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Dove are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition