NameCensus.

UK surname

Howis

In the 1881 census there were 65 people recorded with the Howis surname, ranking it #24,420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 122, ranked #27,255, down from #24,420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to East Grinstead, London parishes and Hucknall Torkard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Cornwall and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howis is 145 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.7%.

1881 census count

65

Ranked #24,420

Modern count

122

2016, ranked #27,255

Peak year

1999

145 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howis had 65 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016, ranked #27,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Howis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howis surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howis 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 65 #24,420
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 138 #18,811
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 138 #24,801
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 122 #27,255

Geography

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Where Howis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around East Grinstead, London parishes, Hucknall Torkard, Lambeth and Ashburton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Cornwall and Teignbridge. 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 East Grinstead Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Ashburton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 026 Rotherham
2 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
3 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge
4 Cornwall 068 Cornwall
5 Rotherham 024 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Howis, 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 Howis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Howis 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Howis 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

Howis is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Howis falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Howis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Howis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howis 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. Devon leads with 14 Howis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.45x.

County Total Index
Devon 14 10.45x
Kent 11 5.01x
Glamorgan 9 8.03x
Nottinghamshire 9 10.37x
Derbyshire 5 4.96x
Middlesex 5 0.78x
Sussex 4 3.69x
Surrey 3 0.96x
Staffordshire 2 0.92x
Fife 1 2.62x
Hampshire 1 0.76x
Lanarkshire 1 0.48x
Yorkshire 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. Ashburton in Devon leads with 14 Howis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2187.50x.

Place Total Index
Ashburton 14 2187.50x
Canterbury St Paul 7 1794.87x
Mansfield 7 233.33x
St John Near Swansea 6 431.65x
Chesterfield 5 132.28x
Canterbury St George 4 1538.46x
East Grinstead 4 259.74x
St Marylebone London 4 11.64x
Lambeth 3 5.35x
Swansea Town 3 32.64x
Bradley 2 1818.18x
Barwick In Elmet 1 204.08x
Chalton 1 2000.00x
Hucknall Torkard 1 45.45x
Kirkcaldy 1 52.91x
Maryhill 1 24.57x
Papplewick 1 1428.57x
St George Hanover Square 1 8.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Emma 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Lydia 2
Sarah 2
Adeline 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Martha 1
Precilla 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Howis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 65 people were recorded with the Howis surname. That placed it at #24,420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016. That gives Howis a modern rank of #27,255.

What does the Howis map show?

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