NameCensus.

UK surname

Howie

Derived from the Scottish nickname for someone with fair or pale hair or complexion, from Scots Gaelic "buidhe" meaning "yellow."

In the 1881 census there were 2,964 people recorded with the Howie surname, ranking it #1,507 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,172, ranked #1,625, down from #1,507 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dundonald, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Cardenden and Northern and Irvine Valley Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howie is 4,197 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.8%.

1881 census count

2,964

Ranked #1,507

Modern count

4,172

2016, ranked #1,625

Peak year

2010

4,197 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howie had 2,964 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,507 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,172 in 2016, ranked #1,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,606 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Howie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howie 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 1,870 #1,546
1861 historical 2,012 #1,443
1881 historical 2,964 #1,507
1891 historical 3,237 #1,468
1901 historical 3,606 #1,554
1911 historical 602 #6,820
1997 modern 3,789 #1,714
1998 modern 3,893 #1,728
1999 modern 3,925 #1,736
2000 modern 3,962 #1,713
2001 modern 3,839 #1,726
2002 modern 3,962 #1,707
2003 modern 3,945 #1,678
2004 modern 3,929 #1,691
2005 modern 3,921 #1,662
2006 modern 3,882 #1,679
2007 modern 3,993 #1,649
2008 modern 4,008 #1,654
2009 modern 4,154 #1,632
2010 modern 4,197 #1,653
2011 modern 4,098 #1,665
2012 modern 4,048 #1,658
2013 modern 4,092 #1,676
2014 modern 4,176 #1,648
2015 modern 4,160 #1,635
2016 modern 4,172 #1,625

Geography

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Where Howies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dundonald, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Cardenden, Northern and Irvine Valley Rural, IZ01 and Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields. 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 Dundonald Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
2 Cardenden Fife
3 Northern and Irvine Valley Rural East Ayrshire
4 IZ01 East Lothian
5 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Howie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Howie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Howie 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

Howie 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

Howie falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Howie

The surname Howie originated in Scotland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hau," meaning a small hill or hollow, and the Scottish surname "Howe" or "How." The name is believed to have evolved from people living near a small hill or hollow, or from a place name containing the word "howe."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed people who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "William de la Howe de Anant" refers to a person named William from the place called "Howe" in Annandale, Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Houwy," "Howy," and "Howie," in Scottish records and charters. The earliest known bearer of the name Howie was John Howie, who was granted lands in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in the early 1400s.

Historically, the name has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was John Howie (1735-1793), a Scottish biographer and author of "The Scots Worthies," a collection of biographies of Scottish Covenanters and Reformers.

Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Howie (1768-1829), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1819.

In the 19th century, James Howie (1810-1888) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Glasgow City Chambers and the Govan Old Parish Church.

William Howie (1809-1872) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and merchant who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

John Howie (1916-1994) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his roles in television series such as "Callan" and "The Borderers."

The name Howie has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, including Howietown, a village in Renfrewshire, and Howieshill, a hill near Ayr.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howie 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. Ayrshire leads with 605 Howies recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.21x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 605 28.21x
Lanarkshire 528 5.70x
Renfrewshire 269 12.11x
Aberdeenshire 226 8.51x
Midlothian 181 4.71x
Angus 171 6.44x
Fife 148 8.72x
Durham 92 1.08x
Dunbartonshire 86 11.17x
Kincardineshire 79 22.64x
Perthshire 75 5.83x
Banffshire 46 7.74x
Lancashire 44 0.13x
Northumberland 44 1.03x
Stirlingshire 43 4.07x
East Lothian 38 10.01x
Berwickshire 32 9.22x
Middlesex 30 0.10x
Cumberland 18 0.73x
Cheshire 16 0.25x
West Lothian 15 3.48x
Argyllshire 14 1.75x
Morayshire 13 2.92x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 2.65x
Yorkshire 11 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 10 1.58x
Hampshire 10 0.17x
Kent 9 0.09x
Kinross-shire 8 11.04x
Staffordshire 8 0.08x
Inverness-shire 7 0.82x
Buteshire 6 3.46x
Gloucestershire 6 0.11x
Roxburghshire 6 1.16x
Surrey 6 0.04x
Wigtownshire 6 1.58x
Essex 5 0.09x
Derbyshire 4 0.09x
Hertfordshire 2 0.10x
Orkney 2 0.63x
Sussex 2 0.04x
Caithness 1 0.25x
Peeblesshire 1 0.74x
Royal Navy 1 0.29x
Selkirkshire 1 0.39x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 204 Howies recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.90x.

Place Total Index
Govan 204 8.90x
Barony 126 5.37x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 87 17.52x
Glasgow 74 4.50x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 67 4.34x
Kilmarnock 63 24.68x
Dundee 60 6.05x
Dundonald 55 69.54x
Kilwinning 53 76.52x
West Greenock 51 12.79x
Aberdeen Old Machar 44 7.94x
Galston 41 69.89x
Abbey 36 10.62x
Dreghorn 36 92.71x
Dysart 36 31.51x
Cupar 34 46.08x
Alyth 29 83.77x
Kilbirnie 27 52.43x
Tranent 27 52.64x
Beith 26 40.63x
Irvine 26 43.64x
Stevenston 26 46.50x
Neilston 24 21.52x
Paisley High Church 24 13.57x
Inverkip 23 43.94x
Montrose 22 13.67x
Dalry 21 20.81x
Dumbarton 21 19.59x
East Greenock 21 10.01x
Kilmaurs 21 57.55x
Leslie 21 48.88x
Loudoun 21 40.71x
Ardrossan 20 26.94x
Inveresk 19 18.28x
Keith 19 29.98x
South Leith 19 4.40x
Eccles 18 118.34x
Stockton On Tees 18 4.38x
Ceres 17 83.33x
Port Glasgow 17 15.83x
Cadder 16 23.37x
Fenwick 16 140.97x
Liff Benvie 16 3.97x
Maryhill 16 8.82x
Riccarton Hurlford 16 42.53x
Falkirk 15 6.06x
Forfar 15 10.43x
Marykirk 15 104.24x
Muirkirk 15 29.78x
Cathcart 14 11.65x
Dunipace 14 75.68x
Dunlop 14 104.63x
Hamilton 14 5.42x
Bothwell 13 5.17x
Eastwood 13 9.50x
Kelloe 13 141.46x
Lesmahagow 13 13.26x
Paisley Middle Church 13 10.05x
Fordoun 12 61.38x
Girvan 12 22.29x
Mauchline 12 48.68x
Row 12 12.04x
Blantyre 11 11.40x
Dunnottar 11 44.79x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 2.98x
Kirkintilloch 11 10.51x
Roseneath 11 74.48x
Stewarton 11 25.92x
Aberdour 10 47.80x
Elswick 10 2.94x
Glenbervie 10 104.60x
Kirriemuir 10 15.26x
Monifieth 10 10.66x
Ochiltree 10 67.80x
Old Kilpatrick 10 10.99x
St Andrews 10 12.95x
Brechin 9 8.63x
Flimby 9 43.17x
North Meols 9 2.70x
Turriff 9 21.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 14
Margaret 14
Jane 11
Sarah 8
Annie 5
Jessie 5
Agnes 4
Catherine 4
Marion 4
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Rebecca 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Christine 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Janet 2
Christina 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellin 1
Euphemia 1
Evelyn 1
Faith 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Janett 1
Jannet 1
Jeanie 1
Julia 1
Juliea 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M.Jane 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Meta 1
Sara 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 26
John 21
William 20
Robert 13
Thomas 12
Joseph 6
Henry 5
Alexander 4
Andrew 4
Edward 4
Richard 4
Adam 3
George 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
A. 1
Agnes 1
Alexina 1
Allan 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Cal... 1
Charlotte 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Julius 1
Michael 1
Mick 1
Nicholas 1
Oliver 1
Percival 1
Percivel 1
Robin 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
W. 1

FAQ

Howie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,964 people were recorded with the Howie surname. That placed it at #1,507 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,172 in 2016. That gives Howie a modern rank of #1,625.

What does the Howie surname mean?

Derived from the Scottish nickname for someone with fair or pale hair or complexion, from Scots Gaelic "buidhe" meaning "yellow."

What does the Howie map show?

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