NameCensus.

UK surname

Howitt

A locational surname originating from places named Howitt in England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,124 people recorded with the Howitt surname, ranking it #3,548 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,759, ranked #3,570, down from #3,548 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gardenstown and King Edward, West Lindsey and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howitt is 1,822 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.5%.

1881 census count

1,124

Ranked #3,548

Modern count

1,759

2016, ranked #3,570

Peak year

1998

1,822 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howitt had 1,124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,548 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,759 in 2016, ranked #3,570.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,741 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Howitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howitt 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 656 #3,955
1861 historical 629 #4,260
1881 historical 1,124 #3,548
1891 historical 1,323 #3,286
1901 historical 1,741 #2,978
1911 historical 1,359 #3,531
1997 modern 1,811 #3,315
1998 modern 1,822 #3,417
1999 modern 1,813 #3,450
2000 modern 1,818 #3,430
2001 modern 1,764 #3,451
2002 modern 1,801 #3,449
2003 modern 1,747 #3,489
2004 modern 1,731 #3,516
2005 modern 1,720 #3,503
2006 modern 1,698 #3,548
2007 modern 1,718 #3,545
2008 modern 1,723 #3,557
2009 modern 1,777 #3,547
2010 modern 1,791 #3,586
2011 modern 1,752 #3,602
2012 modern 1,713 #3,622
2013 modern 1,756 #3,597
2014 modern 1,771 #3,590
2015 modern 1,774 #3,559
2016 modern 1,759 #3,570

Geography

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Where Howitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Nottingham St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gardenstown and King Edward, West Lindsey, Pembrokeshire and Nottingham. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gardenstown and King Edward Aberdeenshire
2 West Lindsey 007 West Lindsey
3 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey
4 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
5 Nottingham 013 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howitt

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Howitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Howitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Howitt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Howitt is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Howitt

The surname HOWITT is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name "How" or "Howe," which was a diminutive form of the name "Hugh." The name dates back to the 12th century and was particularly prevalent in the Midlands region of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HOWITT can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327, where a Robert Howitt is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Staffordshire in 1275, referring to a Richard Howyt.

The HOWITT surname has its roots in various place names across England, such as Howitt in Derbyshire and Howitt Hill in Nottinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning "heel" or "ridge," and "witu" meaning "wood" or "forest."

In the 16th century, the HOWITT surname appeared in various historical records, including the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a William Howitt was recorded in 1581.

Notable individuals with the surname HOWITT throughout history include:

1. William Howitt (1792-1879), an English author, poet, and historian known for his works on rural life and folklore. 2. Mary Howitt (1799-1888), an English author and poet, and the wife of William Howitt. She was known for her poetry and children's literature. 3. Samuel Howitt (1765-1822), an English artist and engraver, renowned for his landscapes and illustrations of scientific subjects. 4. Henry Howitt (1830-1892), an English geologist and explorer, who made significant contributions to the study of Australian geology and geography. 5. Godfrey Howitt (1800-1873), an English missionary and author, who spent several years working in Australia and wrote about his experiences with the indigenous population.

The HOWITT surname has been carried by families across various regions of England, with concentrations in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, such as Howyt and Howett, its essential form and meaning have remained consistent throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howitt 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. Lincolnshire leads with 165 Howitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.55x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 165 9.55x
Nottinghamshire 154 10.57x
Yorkshire 113 1.06x
Derbyshire 95 5.61x
Aberdeenshire 59 5.89x
Middlesex 58 0.54x
Leicestershire 53 4.42x
Lanarkshire 51 1.46x
Surrey 47 0.89x
Lancashire 31 0.24x
Cheshire 22 0.92x
Northamptonshire 22 2.16x
Northumberland 21 1.31x
Durham 15 0.47x
Hampshire 15 0.68x
Norfolk 15 0.90x
Staffordshire 15 0.41x
Warwickshire 13 0.48x
Cambridgeshire 12 1.75x
Cumberland 11 1.18x
Gloucestershire 10 0.47x
Peeblesshire 10 19.67x
Stirlingshire 10 2.51x
Bedfordshire 8 1.43x
Kent 8 0.22x
Essex 7 0.33x
Midlothian 6 0.41x
Sussex 6 0.33x
Ayrshire 5 0.62x
Banffshire 5 2.23x
Cornwall 5 0.41x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.46x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.61x
Devon 4 0.18x
Berkshire 3 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.03x
Oxfordshire 3 0.45x
Perthshire 3 0.62x
Rutland 3 3.78x
Berwickshire 2 1.53x
Fife 2 0.31x
Westmorland 2 0.84x
Worcestershire 2 0.14x
Brecknockshire 1 0.46x
Denbighshire 1 0.24x
Inverness-shire 1 0.31x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Wigtownshire 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 78 Howitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.70x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 78 20.70x
Leeds 27 4.46x
Heanor 22 86.92x
Buckminster 19 2021.28x
Allington 17 1382.11x
Putney 17 34.51x
Castle Bytham 16 661.16x
Ackworth 15 182.26x
Glasgow 15 2.42x
Holbeck 15 21.14x
Newhills 15 73.17x
Peterborough 15 20.38x
Swinton In Rotherham 15 52.97x
Toxteth Park 15 3.45x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 6.94x
Gainsborough 12 29.46x
Caldewgate 11 21.57x
Ellon 11 79.88x
Holbrook 11 289.47x
Hunslet 11 6.59x
Whittlesey St Mary St 11 46.01x
Barony 10 1.13x
Belper 10 30.48x
Knipton 10 826.45x
Peebles 10 66.58x
Aston 9 365.85x
Campsie 9 41.13x
Farnsfield 9 233.16x
Hackney London 9 1.49x
Nottingham St Nicholas 9 45.36x
St Pancras London 9 1.03x
Birmingham 8 0.88x
Deeping St James 8 130.93x
Derby St Werburgh 8 8.19x
Govan 8 0.93x
Great Grimsby 8 7.29x
Pownall Fee 8 74.98x
Wotton St Mary 8 72.73x
Bedford St Paul 7 18.24x
Camberwell 7 1.01x
Derby St Peter 7 12.99x
Folkingham 7 328.64x
Grantham 7 31.08x
Horbling 7 378.38x
Hornsey 7 5.12x
Hucknall Torkard 7 18.95x
Huntly 7 42.97x
Leicester St Mary 7 7.23x
New Monkland 7 6.77x
Newbottle 7 39.86x
Stayley 7 25.67x
Westoe 7 3.84x
Barrow In Furness 6 3.44x
Basford 6 8.94x
Bermondsey 6 1.86x
Darlaston 6 11.90x
East Rudham 6 204.78x
Lenton 6 17.49x
Portsea 6 1.38x
Radford 6 8.11x
South Stoke 6 1200.00x
Staveley 6 19.97x
Threckingham Swaton 6 560.75x
Woodthorpe 6 198.02x
Aslackby 5 297.62x
Bitchfield 5 806.45x
Drumblade 5 141.24x
Elswick 5 3.90x
Kea 5 54.82x
Kilmarnock 5 5.19x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 37.85x
Oundle 5 43.98x
Pembroke St Mary 5 11.30x
Penge 5 7.24x
Saxby 5 1111.11x
Skene 5 75.30x
Syerston 5 847.46x
Tibshelf 5 60.24x
Walsoken 5 50.05x
Warkworth 5 193.05x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 75
John 54
George 34
Thomas 30
Charles 24
Robert 23
Henry 19
Joseph 18
Arthur 16
James 16
Richard 11
Samuel 11
Alfred 9
Edward 7
Herbert 7
Albert 6
Francis 6
Harry 6
Walter 5
Frank 4
Matthew 4
Wm. 4
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
Hiram 3
Isaac 3
Tom 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Leonard 2
Thos. 2
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Dav. 1
Edwin 1
Enoch 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Harold 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Josiah 1
Lautune 1
Lewis 1
Llewellyn 1

FAQ

Howitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,124 people were recorded with the Howitt surname. That placed it at #3,548 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,759 in 2016. That gives Howitt a modern rank of #3,570.

What does the Howitt surname mean?

A locational surname originating from places named Howitt in England.

What does the Howitt map show?

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