English
Early records reveal that this surname Covington originated in Scotland. There is a place in Hunts bearing the name Covington (now Cambridgeshire). The surname was changed in the late 12th century to "Villa Colbani", and after twenty years so called "Colbaynistun". The ravages of time are the worst enemies of written documents; while the stone that was used to construct castles, towers and other structures often assured that these precious monuments were to survive to the present day, old scrolls were more often than not lost or even destroyed without leaving a trace. Nonetheless, careful research has revealed the following: The earliest written reference to someone with this surname pertains to a certain Thomas Colbainestun, mentioned in a document between the years 1187 and 1189. Our investigations have uncovered references to two individuals who had the surname Cavington: Thomas de Villa Colbain, mentioned in a document written by William the Lion to David de Haia in the year 1204, and somewhat later, Thomas de Colbaynstoun, whose name was recorded in same year, both are variations of the surname Covington.There are approximately 23,000 people living in the United States today who have this surname.