NameCensus.

UK surname

Houghton

From a place name meaning "town on a hill," derived from Old English "hoh" (ridge) and "tun" (enclosure, settlement).

In the 1881 census there were 10,454 people recorded with the Houghton surname, ranking it #411 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,251, ranked #416, down from #411 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Houghton is 15,817 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.9%.

1881 census count

10,454

Ranked #411

Modern count

15,251

2016, ranked #416

Peak year

1999

15,817 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Houghton had 10,454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #411 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,251 in 2016, ranked #416.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,353 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Houghton surname distribution map

The map shows where the Houghton surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Houghton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Houghton over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 6,241 #444
1861 historical 6,899 #407
1881 historical 10,454 #411
1891 historical 11,476 #392
1901 historical 13,513 #389
1911 historical 15,353 #316
1997 modern 15,118 #401
1998 modern 15,572 #406
1999 modern 15,817 #404
2000 modern 15,660 #404
2001 modern 15,351 #402
2002 modern 15,642 #406
2003 modern 15,245 #404
2004 modern 15,121 #408
2005 modern 14,785 #413
2006 modern 14,815 #412
2007 modern 14,901 #413
2008 modern 14,939 #414
2009 modern 15,334 #411
2010 modern 15,634 #413
2011 modern 15,378 #412
2012 modern 15,051 #415
2013 modern 15,388 #414
2014 modern 15,523 #412
2015 modern 15,384 #413
2016 modern 15,251 #416

Geography

Back to top

Where Houghtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Preston, Blackburn and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and St. Helens. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Warrington Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 015 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 004 St. Helens

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Houghton

These lists show first names that appear often with the Houghton surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Houghton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Houghton, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Houghton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Houghton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Houghton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Houghton is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Houghton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Houghton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Houghton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Houghton

The surname Houghton originates from England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a ridge or heel-shaped hill, and "tun" meaning a settlement or enclosure. The name literally refers to a settlement situated on or near a ridge or hill.

Houghton is found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, and Yorkshire. It is believed that the name was first recorded as a place name before becoming a surname. The earliest known record of the place name Houghton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several locations with variations of the name, such as Hoctun, Houghton, and Hohtun.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Houghton is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1175, which mentions a person named William de Houghton. In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a Robert de Houghton.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Houghton. One of the most prominent figures was Michael Houghton (1629-1681), an English Puritan minister and writer who published several works on religious subjects. Another notable bearer of the name was John Houghton (c. 1487-1535), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the English Reformation for denying the supremacy of Henry VIII over the Church.

In the realm of science, Sir Douglas Houghton (1898-1987) was a British chemist who made significant contributions to the study of liquid crystals and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963. Another notable figure was William Edward Houghton (1828-1895), an English meteorologist who made important contributions to the study of atmospheric science and weather forecasting.

A more recent individual with the surname Houghton was Henry Houghton (1823-1909), an American publisher and founder of the Houghton Mifflin publishing company, which has played a significant role in the publishing industry since its establishment in 1832.

While the surname Houghton has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. However, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon settlements in England, where the name originated as a locational identifier for those living near a ridge or hill.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Houghton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Houghton surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 4,281 Houghtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.53x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4,281 3.53x
Middlesex 744 0.73x
Cheshire 590 2.62x
Yorkshire 539 0.53x
Warwickshire 439 1.71x
Hampshire 407 1.95x
Lincolnshire 373 2.29x
Northamptonshire 351 3.66x
Worcestershire 351 2.63x
Surrey 321 0.65x
Essex 178 0.88x
Bedfordshire 175 3.31x
Leicestershire 169 1.49x
Cambridgeshire 168 2.60x
Staffordshire 160 0.46x
Kent 145 0.42x
Norfolk 131 0.83x
Suffolk 129 1.04x
Derbyshire 105 0.66x
Durham 91 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 79 0.57x
Gloucestershire 74 0.37x
Cornwall 53 0.46x
Huntingdonshire 45 2.22x
Hertfordshire 36 0.51x
Sussex 34 0.20x
Denbighshire 31 0.80x
Cumberland 26 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 25 0.41x
Berkshire 24 0.31x
Northumberland 24 0.16x
Somerset 20 0.12x
Devon 19 0.09x
Lanarkshire 17 0.05x
Angus 13 0.14x
Shropshire 13 0.15x
Westmorland 13 0.58x
Oxfordshire 12 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 11 0.49x
Rutland 7 0.93x
Royal Navy 6 0.49x
Wiltshire 6 0.07x
Dorset 5 0.07x
Flintshire 5 0.18x
Glamorgan 5 0.03x
Monmouthshire 4 0.05x
Renfrewshire 3 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.03x
Herefordshire 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Radnorshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 177 Houghtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.49x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 177 5.49x
Warrington 175 12.19x
Wigan 159 9.39x
Windle 139 20.39x
West Derby 130 3.67x
Preston 121 3.73x
Widnes 106 12.13x
Liverpool 100 1.36x
Ince In Makerfield 98 17.39x
Bethnal Green London 94 2.12x
Portsea 92 2.24x
Sutton 86 21.17x
Birmingham 82 0.96x
Everton 81 2.10x
Aston 79 1.11x
Parr 78 18.00x
Manchester 77 1.41x
Bury 75 5.42x
Salford 70 1.96x
Runcorn 68 13.09x
Eccleston In Prescot 67 11.02x
Toxteth Park 63 1.54x
Camberwell 61 0.94x
Hackney London 61 1.07x
Lambeth 61 0.69x
Newton In Makerfield 59 15.91x
Oldham 58 1.48x
Arlesey 56 83.95x
Ashton In Makerfield 56 16.23x
Shoreditch London 56 1.27x
Hindley 55 10.65x
Kirkdale 55 2.70x
Islington London 53 0.54x
Durley 50 300.66x
South Stoneham 50 11.02x
Inskip With Sowerby 49 256.81x
Irthlingborough 49 52.05x
Rainhill 49 63.14x
Scarisbrick 49 34.85x
Garston 46 12.87x
Oswaldtwistle 46 10.75x
Little Bolton 45 2.89x
Macclesfield 45 4.49x
Cardington 43 99.95x
Pemberton 43 8.90x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 43 21.44x
Much Woolton 42 25.55x
Hornsey 41 3.18x
North Meols 41 3.46x
Walton Le Dale 40 12.29x
West Ham 37 0.83x
Feckenham 36 23.60x
Newington 36 0.95x
Westleigh 36 13.09x
Bidford 35 63.59x
Hulme 35 1.38x
Kensington London 35 0.62x
Barton Upon Irwell 34 3.73x
Chelsea London 33 1.07x
Leeds 33 0.58x
Halewood 32 49.31x
St Pancras London 32 0.39x
Southworth With Croft 31 85.64x
Battersea 30 0.80x
Cronton 30 183.49x
Great Yarmouth 30 2.31x
Holy Trinity 30 1.23x
Orrell 30 19.92x
Redditch 30 11.10x
Tranmere 30 3.62x
Elton 29 6.93x
Kimberworth 29 5.17x
Walton On Hill 29 4.42x
Great Bolton 28 1.75x
Haydock 28 13.42x
Paddington London 28 0.75x
Pilling 28 49.25x
Barnton 27 50.20x
Ibstock 27 32.82x
Prescot 27 12.32x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Houghton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 755
Elizabeth 424
Sarah 370
Ann 250
Ellen 233
Alice 207
Jane 204
Margaret 173
Eliza 138
Annie 136
Emma 130
Hannah 113
Martha 95
Emily 91
Harriet 74
Charlotte 61
Catherine 58
Florence 58
Maria 56
Edith 55
Louisa 51
Fanny 46
Ada 45
Esther 39
Lucy 39
Caroline 38
Clara 38
Susan 38
Anne 37
Frances 37
Kate 34
Isabella 30
Harriett 27
Agnes 26
Elizth. 26
Amelia 22
Matilda 22
Rose 22
Sophia 21
Ethel 20
Rebecca 20
Betty 18
Bertha 17
Lydia 16
Nancy 16
Phoebe 16
Amy 15
Gertrude 15
Betsy 14
Rachel 14

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Houghton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 680
John 626
Thomas 441
James 423
George 340
Henry 232
Joseph 202
Charles 181
Edward 128
Robert 120
Richard 111
Arthur 91
Alfred 86
Samuel 85
Walter 72
Frederick 70
Harry 66
Albert 59
Peter 59
Wm. 42
Thos. 35
Herbert 34
David 33
Edwin 32
Ernest 31
Benjamin 28
Frank 27
Isaac 23
Edmund 18
Daniel 17
Francis 17
Ralph 17
Fred 16
Geo. 15
Fredrick 14
Stephen 12
Tom 12
Hugh 11
Chas. 10
Fredk. 10
Harold 10
Percy 10
Adam 9
Andrew 9
Jesse 9
Jonathan 9
Matthew 9
Philip 9
Richd. 9
Jno. 8

FAQ

Houghton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Houghton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,454 people were recorded with the Houghton surname. That placed it at #411 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Houghton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,251 in 2016. That gives Houghton a modern rank of #416.

What does the Houghton surname mean?

From a place name meaning "town on a hill," derived from Old English "hoh" (ridge) and "tun" (enclosure, settlement).

What does the Houghton map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Houghton bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.