NameCensus.

UK surname

Howes

Derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "knoll," or referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 5,235 people recorded with the Howes surname, ranking it #851 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,802, ranked #843, up from #851 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Mary Islington and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Norwich and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howes is 8,506 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.0%.

1881 census count

5,235

Ranked #851

Modern count

7,802

2016, ranked #843

Peak year

1999

8,506 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howes had 5,235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #851 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,802 in 2016, ranked #843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,270 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Howes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howes 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 3,058 #949
1861 historical 3,264 #877
1881 historical 5,235 #851
1891 historical 5,728 #821
1901 historical 7,171 #768
1911 historical 8,270 #603
1997 modern 8,110 #784
1998 modern 8,476 #779
1999 modern 8,506 #784
2000 modern 8,335 #800
2001 modern 8,184 #795
2002 modern 8,258 #807
2003 modern 8,070 #805
2004 modern 8,057 #805
2005 modern 7,861 #812
2006 modern 7,837 #813
2007 modern 7,862 #821
2008 modern 7,888 #823
2009 modern 8,108 #817
2010 modern 8,179 #832
2011 modern 8,072 #831
2012 modern 7,872 #832
2013 modern 8,039 #829
2014 modern 8,025 #835
2015 modern 7,907 #837
2016 modern 7,802 #843

Geography

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Where Howes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Mary Islington, Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Norwich and Broadland. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
2 Norwich 007 Norwich
3 Norwich 005 Norwich
4 Broadland 009 Broadland
5 Norwich 003 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howes

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Howes is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Howes 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

Howes falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Howes

The surname "Howes" originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hoh," meaning "heel" or "ridge of land." The name likely referred to someone who lived on or near a ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is spelled "Howe." Over time, variations such as "Howes," "Hows," and "Hough" emerged. The name is also closely related to the place name "Howe," which refers to various locations across England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with the name "Howe," including villages in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. These entries suggest that the surname may have originated from individuals who lived in or near these locations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "Howes" was John Howes, born around 1470 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.

Another notable figure was Sir Edward Howes (1572-1645), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Shropshire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the 17th century, Thomas Howes (1608-1678) was a successful merchant and shipowner in London. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and helped establish one of the first English settlements in Barbados.

During the American Revolutionary War, Howes Beach in Massachusetts was named after Joseph Howes (1726-1803), a Patriot who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In the literary world, Mary Howes (1799-1888) was a prominent English writer and poet known for her works on religious and moral themes.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname "Howes." The name has a rich history spanning centuries and has been carried by people from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, soldiers, and writers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howes 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. Norfolk leads with 1,246 Howes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.87x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 1,246 15.87x
Middlesex 882 1.73x
Surrey 402 1.62x
Northamptonshire 286 5.95x
Suffolk 257 4.13x
Yorkshire 191 0.38x
Warwickshire 187 1.45x
Kent 178 1.02x
Gloucestershire 173 1.73x
Oxfordshire 131 4.15x
Lancashire 114 0.19x
Staffordshire 111 0.64x
Essex 105 1.04x
Buckinghamshire 100 3.24x
Worcestershire 97 1.45x
Cambridgeshire 80 2.47x
Huntingdonshire 79 7.79x
Hertfordshire 64 1.82x
Lincolnshire 61 0.75x
Hampshire 59 0.56x
Durham 55 0.36x
Somerset 52 0.63x
Berkshire 40 1.04x
Cheshire 39 0.35x
Sussex 37 0.43x
Leicestershire 27 0.48x
Bedfordshire 24 0.91x
Devon 24 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.25x
Glamorgan 15 0.17x
Herefordshire 14 0.67x
Northumberland 14 0.18x
Cornwall 12 0.21x
Wiltshire 12 0.27x
Channel Islands 7 0.46x
Dorset 7 0.21x
Cumberland 6 0.14x
Midlothian 5 0.07x
Royal Navy 4 0.66x
Shropshire 4 0.09x
Stirlingshire 4 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.14x
Monmouthshire 3 0.08x
Denbighshire 2 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Derbyshire 1 0.01x
Fife 1 0.03x
Flintshire 1 0.07x
Radnorshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 132 Howes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.67x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 132 2.67x
Wymondham 113 140.74x
Great Yarmouth 110 16.91x
Heigham 106 25.15x
Lambeth 106 2.38x
Birmingham 68 1.58x
Shoreditch London 63 2.85x
St Marylebone London 57 2.09x
Aston 54 1.52x
Hackney London 52 1.82x
St Pancras London 50 1.22x
Battersea 47 2.50x
Deptford St Paul 46 3.42x
Hammersmith London 45 3.58x
Poplar London 43 4.46x
Bethnal Green London 40 1.80x
Norwich St Clement 38 41.75x
Bassingbourn 37 77.85x
Kensington London 37 1.30x
Bermondsey 36 2.37x
Kings Norton 36 6.02x
Gorleston 35 22.15x
Newington 35 1.86x
Camberwell 30 0.92x
Chelsea London 29 1.88x
Hackleton 27 407.24x
Norwich St James 26 42.21x
Thame 26 45.34x
Lowestoft 25 8.51x
Paddington London 25 1.33x
Aynho 23 234.22x
Northampton St Sepulchre 22 9.00x
Northfleet 21 13.68x
Pidley Cum Fenton 21 268.20x
Wigginton 21 169.22x
Northampton All Sts 20 12.27x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 20 41.88x
Westbury On Trym 20 5.89x
Aylesbury 19 13.89x
Clerkenwell London 19 1.58x
Ipswich St Mathew 19 10.90x
Methwold 19 74.80x
Middleton 19 123.62x
Swaffham 19 29.75x
West Ham 19 0.85x
Willesden 19 3.95x
Mile End Old Town London 18 1.66x
Norwich St Augustine 18 56.85x
Norwich St Paul 18 38.29x
Peterborough 18 5.18x
Runham 18 114.80x
St George Hanover Square 18 2.00x
Bow London 17 2.61x
Kingston On Thames 17 2.84x
Lakenham 17 15.24x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 17 45.47x
Portsea 17 0.83x
West Bromwich 17 1.72x
Winterbourne 17 30.72x
Beighton 16 336.84x
Bitton 16 18.35x
Cheltenham 16 2.07x
Reading St Giles 16 4.25x
Thurne 16 430.11x
West Derby 16 0.90x
Bungay Holy Trinity 15 46.99x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 15 38.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 1.46x
St Benedict Cambridge 15 82.19x
Upton With Fishley 15 160.94x
Bury St Edmunds St James 14 8.43x
Byfield 14 101.01x
Diss 14 20.80x
Eccleshall 14 21.42x
Frampton Cotterell 14 39.83x
Happisburgh 14 142.71x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 2.13x
Sutton St Mary 14 18.13x
Greenwich 13 1.60x
Hadleigh 13 21.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 285
Elizabeth 205
Sarah 194
Ann 102
Emma 102
Ellen 88
Emily 82
Jane 80
Alice 77
Eliza 75
Hannah 68
Martha 63
Annie 62
Maria 58
Charlotte 52
Harriet 47
Florence 45
Louisa 43
Susan 36
Edith 31
Ada 30
Fanny 30
Kate 29
Margaret 27
Clara 25
Caroline 24
Catherine 22
Rebecca 20
Harriett 19
Matilda 19
Agnes 18
Amelia 18
Eleanor 18
Rose 18
Julia 17
Anne 16
Laura 15
Anna 14
Frances 14
Lucy 14
Sophia 13
Amy 12
Ethel 12
Lydia 11
Rosa 11
Jessie 10
Esther 9
Gertrude 9
Henrietta 9
Lizzie 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 323
John 247
George 205
James 183
Charles 143
Thomas 129
Henry 124
Robert 104
Arthur 76
Joseph 72
Edward 67
Alfred 59
Walter 59
Frederick 54
Richard 47
Samuel 44
Herbert 37
Albert 35
Harry 32
Ernest 22
Frank 20
Benjamin 18
Geo. 13
Wm. 13
Francis 12
David 10
Edwin 10
Fred 10
Philip 9
Frederic 8
Fredrick 8
Elijah 7
Fredk. 7
Edmund 6
Isaac 6
Harold 5
Joshua 5
Mark 5
Willm. 5
Ebenezer 4
Edgar 4
Horace 4
Jacob 4
Jno. 4
Robt. 4
Sidney 4
Willie 4
Ambrose 3
Amos 3
Jesse 3

FAQ

Howes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,235 people were recorded with the Howes surname. That placed it at #851 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,802 in 2016. That gives Howes a modern rank of #843.

What does the Howes surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "knoll," or referring to someone who lived on or near a hill.

What does the Howes map show?

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