Explore the Family Name Povey
The meaning of Povey
1. Welsh (now chiefly found in England): patronymic meaning ‘son of Hova’, Welsh ap + the personal name Hwfa, Anglicized to Pova, Pover, Povall, and Povey. Without ap the same name survives as Hovey and Hover, and possibly as Huffey and Huffer. 2. English: of uncertain origin. An unrecorded Old English personal name Pofig is formally possible, incorporating the hypocoristic suffix -ig.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Povey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Povey has slightly decreased over the past decade. In 2000, the surname ranked 59,916 in popularity and by 2010 it had dropped to 62,714, a decrease of 4.67%. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname Povey increased from 315 in 2000 to 319 in 2010, marking a modest 1.27% upturn. The proportion per 100,000 people of this surname also declined from 0.12 to 0.11 over the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #59,916 | #62,714 | -4.67% |
| Count | 315 | 319 | 1.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.11 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Povey
As for the ethnicity associated with the surname Povey, the Decennial U.S. Census data tells us that the majority identify as White, although there was a slight decrease in this group, from 94.60% in 2000 to 93.10% in 2010. There were no recorded individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either census year. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races fell substantially from 2.54% to 1.57%, a decrease of 38.19%. Interestingly, while no individuals identified as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, these ethnic identities were represented in 2010 at 1.88% and 3.13% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.6% | 93.1% | -1.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 3.13% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.88% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 2.54% | 1.57% | -38.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |