NameCensus.

UK surname

Housman

An English surname derived from the occupation of a servant or household steward.

In the 1881 census there were 150 people recorded with the Housman surname, ranking it #15,489 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #15,489 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Ombersley and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Stafford and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Housman is 150 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.3%.

1881 census count

150

Ranked #15,489

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

1881

150 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Housman had 150 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,489 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 150 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Housman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Housman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Housman 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 150 #15,489
1891 historical 86 #25,951
1901 historical 91 #23,921
1911 historical 131 #19,404
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Housmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Ombersley, Clee, St Dunstan Stepney and St Austell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Stafford, Cornwall, East Lindsey and Bexley. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Ombersley Worcestershire
3 Clee Lincolnshire
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 St Austell Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 010 South Norfolk
2 Stafford 014 Stafford
3 Cornwall 063 Cornwall
4 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
5 Bexley 021 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Housman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Housman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Housman, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Housman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Housman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Housman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Housman is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Housman falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Housman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Housman

The surname HOUSMAN is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hus" meaning house and "mann" meaning man or servant, signifying a household servant or domestic worker. This occupational surname first appeared in the late 12th century in various parts of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HOUSMAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from the year 1197, which mention a Robert Husman. The Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273 also list a Hugo Husman.

The variant spelling HOWSMAN is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, referring to a Walter Howsman. The HOUSMAN spelling appears in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire from 1379, listing a John Housman.

In the 16th century, the HOUSMAN surname was concentrated in the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland in northern England. Notable individuals from this region include Richard Housman (1564-1635), a clergyman and author from Coverdale, Yorkshire, and John Housman (1579-1647), a Church of England clergyman from Thornhill, Yorkshire.

One of the most famous bearers of the HOUSMAN surname was the English classical scholar and poet, Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936). Born in Fockbury, Worcestershire, he is best known for his cycle of poems "A Shropshire Lad" published in 1896.

Other notable individuals with the HOUSMAN surname include Laurence Housman (1865-1959), an English writer and illustrator, and John Houseman (1902-1988), a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer who co-founded the Mercury Theatre with Orson Welles.

The HOUSMAN surname has also been recorded in various place names, such as Housman's Cross in Westmorland, and Housman's Farm in Worcestershire, further reflecting its longstanding presence in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Housman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Housman 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. Middlesex leads with 33 Housmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 33 2.29x
Yorkshire 26 1.82x
Lincolnshire 24 10.40x
Lancashire 18 1.05x
Worcestershire 12 6.37x
Westmorland 8 25.22x
Berkshire 4 3.69x
Staffordshire 4 0.82x
Warwickshire 4 1.10x
Dorset 3 3.17x
Devon 2 0.67x
Essex 2 0.70x
Gloucestershire 2 0.71x
Sussex 2 0.82x
Derbyshire 1 0.44x
Durham 1 0.23x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 4.78x
Surrey 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 8 Housmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.04x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 8 26.04x
Nether Graveship 8 2666.67x
Pinchbeck 8 540.54x
Bromsgrove 7 110.41x
Hampstead London 7 31.14x
Bethnal Green London 6 9.57x
Hanwell 6 234.38x
Great Grimsby 5 34.13x
Leeds 5 6.19x
Preston 5 10.91x
Willerby In Scarborough 5 2380.95x
Halifax 4 19.05x
Kensington London 4 4.98x
North Hincksey 4 3333.33x
Northowram 4 39.88x
Skerton 4 283.69x
York St Lawrence 4 268.46x
Burnley 3 20.80x
Keisby 3 6000.00x
Lyme Regis 3 265.49x
Stoke 3 416.67x
Tipton 3 20.11x
Waltham 3 810.81x
Castleford 2 38.39x
Cheriton Bishop 2 689.66x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.87x
Holbeach 2 77.82x
Horbling 2 800.00x
Leyton Low 2 34.54x
Lytham 2 76.63x
Oldbury 2 21.58x
Almondbury 1 14.45x
Aston 1 1.00x
Barlaston 1 243.90x
Brighton 1 2.04x
Bristol St Michael 1 41.15x
Clapham 1 5.54x
Gorton 1 6.21x
Hove 1 9.36x
Kelton 1 58.14x
Kempsey 1 140.85x
Layton With Warbreck 1 15.90x
Matlock 1 33.00x
Northfield 1 27.93x
Padiham 1 24.15x
St Maryle Wigford 1 55.87x
Stokesley 1 112.36x
Thornton In Fylde 1 26.67x
Twining 1 232.56x
Washington 1 55.56x
Whistones 1 73.53x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 8
George 7
Robert 6
Thomas 6
James 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Basil 1
Charles 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hewson 1
J.B. 1
Jos. 1
Lawrence 1
Mathew 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Uriah 1

FAQ

Housman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Housman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 150 people were recorded with the Housman surname. That placed it at #15,489 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Housman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Housman a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Housman surname mean?

An English surname derived from the occupation of a servant or household steward.

What does the Housman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Housman 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.