NameCensus.

UK surname

Howcroft

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "small dwellings on the hill".

In the 1881 census there were 947 people recorded with the Howcroft surname, ranking it #4,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 967, ranked #5,950, down from #4,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Radcliffe, Dean and Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, County Durham and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howcroft is 1,308 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.1%.

1881 census count

947

Ranked #4,077

Modern count

967

2016, ranked #5,950

Peak year

1911

1,308 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howcroft had 947 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 967 in 2016, ranked #5,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,308 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Howcroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howcroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howcroft 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 544 #4,643
1861 historical 516 #5,072
1881 historical 947 #4,077
1891 historical 1,106 #3,830
1901 historical 1,245 #3,980
1911 historical 1,308 #3,645
1997 modern 982 #5,587
1998 modern 1,007 #5,642
1999 modern 1,017 #5,638
2000 modern 1,024 #5,574
2001 modern 1,027 #5,470
2002 modern 1,024 #5,594
2003 modern 1,004 #5,573
2004 modern 990 #5,643
2005 modern 978 #5,642
2006 modern 974 #5,666
2007 modern 964 #5,780
2008 modern 978 #5,750
2009 modern 992 #5,799
2010 modern 1,014 #5,822
2011 modern 996 #5,843
2012 modern 998 #5,741
2013 modern 999 #5,830
2014 modern 1,003 #5,846
2015 modern 963 #5,999
2016 modern 967 #5,950

Geography

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Where Howcrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Radcliffe, Dean, Leigh, Bolton-le-Moors and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, County Durham, Leeds and Selby. 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 Radcliffe Lancashire
2 Dean Lancashire
3 Leigh Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 031 Bolton
2 Bolton 026 Bolton
3 County Durham 046 County Durham
4 Leeds 101 Leeds
5 Selby 007 Selby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howcroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howcroft

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Howcroft is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Howcroft is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Howcroft 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 Howcroft 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 Howcroft, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Howcroft

The surname Howcroft has its origins in England, specifically in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is believed to be a habitational name, derived from a place name referring to a specific location or landscape feature.

One possible interpretation of the surname Howcroft is that it originates from the Old English words "hoh" meaning "heel" or "ridge," and "croft" meaning "a small enclosed field." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person or family residing near or owning a small field situated on a ridge or elevated piece of land.

Another theory suggests that the name Howcroft may derive from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "croft," implying that the name originally referred to a person or family living near or owning a small enclosed field in a hollow or low-lying area.

Early recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from the year 1332 mention a "Robertus de Howcroft," indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period.

In the 15th century, the Howcroft surname appears in various records from Yorkshire, such as the Yorkshire Fines from 1486, which mentions a "John Howcroft." This suggests that the name had spread and become established in different parts of northern England by that time.

One notable individual bearing the Howcroft surname was John Howcroft (c. 1600-1680), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Birdbrook in Essex during the 17th century. He published several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.

Another individual of note was William Howcroft (1809-1868), a British industrialist and cotton manufacturer from Lancashire. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in the region during the Industrial Revolution.

In the 18th century, the Howcroft surname can be found in various parish records from Lancashire and Yorkshire, such as the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Bolton, which mention several individuals with the name, including James Howcroft (born in 1723) and Mary Howcroft (born in 1765).

While the Howcroft surname has its roots in northern England, it eventually spread to other parts of the country and even beyond, as families migrated and settled in new areas. Today, the surname can be found worldwide, although it remains most prevalent in regions with historical ties to Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howcroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howcroft 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 653 Howcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.94x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 653 5.94x
Yorkshire 177 1.93x
Cheshire 38 1.86x
Middlesex 29 0.31x
Durham 17 0.62x
Kent 11 0.35x
Northumberland 5 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.32x
Surrey 4 0.09x
Isle of Man 3 1.74x
Hampshire 2 0.11x
Wiltshire 2 0.24x
Berkshire 1 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.18x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.05x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radcliffe in Lancashire leads with 68 Howcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 128.28x.

Place Total Index
Radcliffe 68 128.28x
Atherton 56 139.90x
Farnworth 54 81.95x
Little Lever 51 362.73x
Great Bolton 38 26.09x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 34 107.39x
Little Bolton 24 16.97x
Rumworth 24 152.67x
Ince In Makerfield 18 35.18x
Westhoughton 18 61.33x
Middle Hulton 17 261.14x
Oldham 17 4.79x
Wortley In Bramley 17 23.37x
Leeds 16 3.09x
Hunslet 14 9.78x
Brayton 12 714.29x
Bury 11 8.76x
Manchester 11 2.22x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 5.72x
Halliwell 10 24.99x
Heapey 10 854.70x
Little Hulton 10 54.91x
Salford 10 3.09x
Elton 9 23.69x
Hambleton 9 535.71x
Lymm 9 60.52x
Medomsley 9 69.98x
Godley 8 181.00x
Great Lever 8 68.55x
Hulme 8 3.48x
Pontefract 8 40.44x
Swinton In Rotherham 8 32.95x
Hindley 7 14.93x
Hutton 7 569.11x
Islington London 7 0.78x
Ormesby 7 28.36x
Pendleton In Salford 7 5.34x
Astley 6 70.75x
Bedford 6 26.09x
Crumpsall 6 23.15x
Cuerdon 6 329.67x
Lostock 6 241.94x
Pilkington 6 14.36x
Pudsey 6 12.22x
Selby 6 31.27x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 2.08x
Cliff Cum Lund 5 246.31x
Droylsden 5 13.94x
Greenwich 5 3.39x
Hyde 5 8.28x
Middlesbrough 5 4.18x
Sherburn 5 66.23x
St Marylebone London 5 1.01x
Tynemouth 5 6.77x
West Rainton 5 58.62x
Ainsworth 4 93.90x
Blackburn 4 1.37x
Calverley Cum Farsley 4 15.34x
Holy Trinity 4 1.81x
Levenshulme 4 35.34x
Lewisham 4 2.37x
Manningham 4 3.54x
Newark Upon Trent 4 8.91x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 19.82x
Pendlebury 4 17.23x
Shadwell London 4 15.43x
Toxteth Park 4 1.07x
Chadderton 3 5.58x
Crigglestone 3 33.94x
Edmonton 3 4.02x
Fishwick 3 44.12x
German Peel 3 30.27x
Kirkdale 3 1.62x
Kirkleatham 3 24.19x
Over Darwen 3 3.42x
Preston 3 1.02x
St Pancras London 3 0.40x
Tarvin Pryors Hayes 3 110.70x
Wakefield 3 4.26x
Wheelton 3 60.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 74
Elizabeth 49
Sarah 34
Margaret 23
Alice 20
Ann 20
Jane 19
Ellen 18
Emma 16
Martha 16
Eliza 15
Annie 13
Hannah 10
Emily 7
Maria 7
Nancy 6
Betsy 5
Elizth. 5
Rachel 5
Susannah 5
Ada 4
Agnes 4
Amelia 4
Betty 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Esther 4
Isabella 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Beatrice 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Janet 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Caroline 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
H. 1
Hellen 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 89
William 50
James 47
Thomas 34
Joseph 24
Robert 21
Peter 18
George 13
Charles 10
Walter 9
Samuel 8
Edward 7
Ralph 7
Richard 7
Adam 6
Alfred 6
Harry 6
Henry 6
Wm. 6
Arthur 5
Thos. 5
Moses 4
Albert 3
Frederick 3
Isaac 3
Jacob 3
Robt. 3
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Gilbert 2
Herbert 2
Herman 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Jonathan 2
Percival 2
Percy 2
Anderson 1
Anthony 1
Burton 1
Chas 1
David 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Hampson 1
Harland 1
Josiah 1
Lindsey 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1

FAQ

Howcroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howcroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 947 people were recorded with the Howcroft surname. That placed it at #4,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howcroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 967 in 2016. That gives Howcroft a modern rank of #5,950.

What does the Howcroft surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "small dwellings on the hill".

What does the Howcroft map show?

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