NameCensus.

UK surname

How

A surname derived from a location or landmark associated with hills or elevated land.

In the 1881 census there were 1,906 people recorded with the How surname, ranking it #2,287 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,275, ranked #4,694, down from #2,287 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Dulverton, Brompton Regis. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, West Somerset and Chiltern.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for How is 2,451 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.1%.

1881 census count

1,906

Ranked #2,287

Modern count

1,275

2016, ranked #4,694

Peak year

1851

2,451 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • How had 1,906 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,287 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,275 in 2016, ranked #4,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,451 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

How surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

How surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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How 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 2,451 #1,217
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 1,906 #2,287
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 1,840 #2,857
1997 modern 1,350 #4,263
1998 modern 1,372 #4,342
1999 modern 1,376 #4,365
2000 modern 1,389 #4,314
2001 modern 1,341 #4,363
2002 modern 1,363 #4,388
2003 modern 1,339 #4,375
2004 modern 1,323 #4,419
2005 modern 1,273 #4,515
2006 modern 1,246 #4,623
2007 modern 1,287 #4,528
2008 modern 1,285 #4,556
2009 modern 1,306 #4,589
2010 modern 1,306 #4,688
2011 modern 1,266 #4,767
2012 modern 1,250 #4,746
2013 modern 1,289 #4,687
2014 modern 1,284 #4,731
2015 modern 1,269 #4,738
2016 modern 1,275 #4,694

Geography

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Where Hows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Dulverton, Brompton Regis and Hemel Hempstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, West Somerset, Chiltern and North Lincolnshire. 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 1
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dulverton, Brompton Regis Devon
5 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 West Somerset 005 West Somerset
3 Chiltern 001 Chiltern
4 Chiltern 004 Chiltern
5 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with How

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for How

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For How, 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 How surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every How 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, How is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

How is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

How falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for How 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 How, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of How

The surname HOW has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hoh," meaning "heel" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived near a ridge or hill.

The name HOW was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are references to individuals bearing this surname, such as Walter How from Oxfordshire and John le How from Berkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HOW can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mention a Richard How from Buckinghamshire. This suggests that the surname was well-established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the HOW name appeared in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1462, which mentions a John How. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1524 for Suffolk list a Thomas How.

The HOW surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Walter How (c. 1583-1655), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1628 until his death.

Another prominent figure was John How (1742-1835), an English architect and landscape gardener who designed several notable buildings and gardens in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the realm of literature, William Walsham How (1823-1897) was an English bishop and hymn writer known for composing the popular Christmas carol "For All the Saints."

The name HOW has also been linked to notable military figures, such as General Sir Edward Walter Dening How (1874-1951), a British Army officer who served during the First World War and later became the Governor of Madras.

Finally, a more recent example is the British author and academic Darius Leander How (1916-2007), who was a renowned expert on the history of the English language and served as the President of the Philological Society from 1989 to 1990.

While the surname HOW has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of English settlers and descendants over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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How families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the How 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 383 Hows recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.01x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 383 2.01x
Hertfordshire 173 13.16x
Surrey 146 1.57x
Buckinghamshire 133 11.54x
Kent 133 2.04x
Essex 126 3.35x
Devon 123 3.10x
Somerset 77 2.51x
Bedfordshire 75 7.60x
Yorkshire 55 0.29x
Northumberland 51 1.80x
Derbyshire 45 1.51x
Dorset 40 3.20x
Huntingdonshire 39 10.30x
Cambridgeshire 33 2.73x
Durham 28 0.49x
Gloucestershire 28 0.75x
Leicestershire 28 1.32x
Angus 22 1.25x
Cumberland 22 1.34x
Suffolk 22 0.95x
Norfolk 17 0.58x
Sussex 17 0.53x
Lancashire 16 0.07x
Perthshire 13 1.52x
Hampshire 12 0.31x
Ayrshire 9 0.63x
Lincolnshire 9 0.30x
Warwickshire 9 0.19x
Renfrewshire 8 0.54x
Monmouthshire 7 0.51x
Shropshire 7 0.42x
Staffordshire 7 0.11x
Glamorgan 6 0.18x
Midlothian 6 0.23x
Oxfordshire 6 0.51x
Berkshire 5 0.35x
Cheshire 4 0.10x
Kincardineshire 4 1.72x
Lanarkshire 4 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Banffshire 1 0.25x
Channel Islands 1 0.18x
Herefordshire 1 0.13x
Rutland 1 0.71x
Stirlingshire 1 0.14x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chesham in Buckinghamshire leads with 92 Hows recorded in 1881 and an index of 216.52x.

Place Total Index
Chesham 92 216.52x
Hemel Hempstead 48 81.04x
Islington London 40 2.16x
Walthamstow 40 29.52x
West Ham 36 4.33x
Luton 35 20.48x
St Pancras London 33 2.15x
Brompton Regis 32 958.08x
St Marylebone London 32 3.14x
Camberwell 29 2.38x
Hackney London 28 2.62x
Lambeth 27 1.62x
Berwick Upon Tweed 26 43.25x
Castleton 25 589.62x
Flamstead 25 206.44x
Willesden 25 13.91x
Kensington London 22 2.07x
Westminster St John 21 9.04x
Bushey 18 57.51x
Newington 17 2.41x
Mile End Old Town London 16 3.94x
St George In East London 16 8.92x
Bampton 15 123.36x
Caddington 15 103.73x
Shoreditch London 15 1.81x
Aldenham 14 117.06x
Bermondsey 14 2.47x
Maidstone 14 7.22x
Dundee 13 1.97x
Bishop Auckland 12 15.76x
Kings Langley 12 125.26x
Toddington 12 84.75x
Wanstead 12 18.20x
Warboys 12 109.69x
Abbots Langley 11 56.32x
Soham 11 42.32x
Battersea 10 1.43x
Cheltenham 10 3.47x
Earsdon 10 43.33x
Hillingdon 10 16.45x
Kingston On Thames 10 4.48x
Lewisham 10 2.88x
Whitstable 10 31.33x
Aylesbeare 9 156.79x
Flaxton 9 375.00x
Helmingham 9 405.41x
Kings Brompton Brompton 9 559.01x
Leyton 9 13.88x
Plymouth Charles The 9 5.15x
Poplar London 9 2.50x
Sevenoaks 9 17.06x
St Paul Walden 9 135.14x
Stoodleigh 9 313.59x
Thrushelton 9 322.58x
Watford 9 8.83x
Birmingham 8 0.50x
Bourn 8 32.48x
Bromley London 8 1.91x
Chatham 8 4.47x
Ecclesfield 8 5.77x
Gillingham 8 37.19x
Hampstead London 8 2.69x
Hastings St Clement 8 26.44x
Hendon 8 11.66x
Irvine 8 20.18x
Isleworth 8 9.44x
Leicester St Margaret 8 1.55x
Northam 8 27.65x
Paisley High Church 8 6.80x
Berrynarbor 7 154.87x
Brightside Bierlow 7 1.89x
Carshalton 7 19.69x
Chelsea London 7 1.22x
Deptford St Paul 7 1.39x
Fulham London 7 2.53x
Ouston 7 84.54x
Pilsley 7 70.99x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 7 38.46x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.08x
Tannadice 7 85.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 88
Elizabeth 67
Sarah 66
Jane 47
Eliza 39
Ann 33
Annie 30
Ellen 28
Emma 26
Alice 25
Emily 23
Caroline 20
Martha 18
Edith 17
Harriet 16
Louisa 16
Catherine 15
Charlotte 15
Clara 15
Hannah 15
Florence 14
Margaret 14
Fanny 13
Esther 12
Lucy 10
Anne 9
Kate 9
Agnes 8
Elizth. 8
Harriett 8
Susan 8
Maria 7
Sophia 7
Ada 6
Bessie 6
Isabella 6
Amelia 5
Frances 5
Gertrude 5
Rose 5
Anna 4
Eleanor 4
Mabel 4
Minnie 4
Nellie 4
Ruth 4
Susannah 4
Katherine 3
Laura 3
Rachel 3

Top male names

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

FAQ

How surname: questions and answers

How common was the How surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,906 people were recorded with the How surname. That placed it at #2,287 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the How surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,275 in 2016. That gives How a modern rank of #4,694.

What does the How surname mean?

A surname derived from a location or landmark associated with hills or elevated land.

What does the How map show?

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