A Scottish and English surname, Dove comes from the Gaelic term ‘dubh’ which means something black or dark. The original term can also refer to a person who has a dark complexion. Also the Old English term ‘dufe’ which refers to a gentle person. The spelling variations of Dove include Dew, Dow, McDuff, McDow, Doves and Duff. In England the Dove families first settled in the Berwickshire region. Over the centuries the Dove family name has spread to most of the country and in some Welsh counties. Most Dove families reside in Yorkshire, Durham, Lanarkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, Essex, Kent, Hampshire and the city of London. In Scotland the larger concentration of Dove families are in Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Angus, Selkirkshire, Aberdeenshire, Fife and Argyll. Within the United States the original Dove families settled in Virginia, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, New York, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio. Illinois and Indian. Famous and renowned people with the surname: Ed Dove, (professional football player), Daphna Dove (singer), Jonathan Dove (English composer of opera musical pieces), Patrick Edward Dove (19th century writer from Scotland), Toni Dove (artist), Billie Dove (actress of early movies), Arthur Garfield Dove (abstract artist), Charles Dove (footballer from England), Rita Dove (writer, poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry), Dennis Dove (professional baseball player) and Bob Dove (professional football player).