NameCensus.

UK surname

Howland

From a place name meaning "land of the hill" or "high land" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 940 people recorded with the Howland surname, ranking it #4,099 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,258, ranked #4,754, down from #4,099 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Warehorne, Orlestone, London parishes and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Epping Forest and Canterbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howland is 1,404 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.8%.

1881 census count

940

Ranked #4,099

Modern count

1,258

2016, ranked #4,754

Peak year

1998

1,404 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howland had 940 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,099 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,258 in 2016, ranked #4,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,292 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Howland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howland 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 486 #5,133
1861 historical 626 #4,275
1881 historical 940 #4,099
1891 historical 1,047 #3,995
1901 historical 1,160 #4,206
1911 historical 1,292 #3,687
1997 modern 1,382 #4,184
1998 modern 1,404 #4,265
1999 modern 1,404 #4,292
2000 modern 1,395 #4,293
2001 modern 1,359 #4,304
2002 modern 1,370 #4,366
2003 modern 1,334 #4,386
2004 modern 1,315 #4,442
2005 modern 1,261 #4,555
2006 modern 1,275 #4,524
2007 modern 1,296 #4,498
2008 modern 1,278 #4,577
2009 modern 1,305 #4,592
2010 modern 1,332 #4,596
2011 modern 1,300 #4,642
2012 modern 1,318 #4,511
2013 modern 1,311 #4,622
2014 modern 1,325 #4,601
2015 modern 1,299 #4,637
2016 modern 1,258 #4,754

Geography

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Where Howlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Warehorne, Orlestone, London parishes, Margate and Ashford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Epping Forest, Canterbury and Ashford. 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 Warehorne, Orlestone Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Margate Kent
5 Ashford Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
2 Epping Forest 001 Epping Forest
3 Canterbury 019 Canterbury
4 Epping Forest 003 Epping Forest
5 Ashford 002 Ashford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howland

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Howland is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Howland is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Howland falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Howland

The surname HOWLAND is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning "heel" or "ridge," and "land" meaning "land." It likely originated as a topographic name, describing someone who lived on a ridge or heel-shaped hill.

The name is believed to have first appeared in the county of Lancashire, England, in the 13th century. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Roger de Holand, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1212, and William de Holand, recorded in the same county in 1246.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a landholding in Lincolnshire is listed as "Holand," which may be an early spelling variation of the surname. The HOWLAND name is also found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Hoghland."

One notable bearer of the HOWLAND name was John Howland, an English Separatist who traveled to America aboard the Mayflower in 1620. He is considered one of the founding settlers of Plymouth Colony and has numerous descendants in the United States.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Howland (c. 1537-1619), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1600-1601. He was also a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers and a benefactor of Christ's Hospital.

In the literary world, William Dean Howells (1837-1920), an American novelist and literary critic, is a distinguished bearer of the HOWLAND name. He was known for his novels, such as "The Rise of Silas Lapham" and "A Modern Instance," and his advocacy for realism in literature.

Another notable individual was Sir Samuel Howland (1765-1838), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815 for his service.

The HOWLAND name also has connections to the Netherlands, where it may have originated as a variant of the Dutch surname "Hollander." One example is John Howland (1540-1619), a Dutch explorer and navigator who is credited with being the first European to set foot on the island of Manhattan in 1609.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howland 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. Kent leads with 417 Howlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.25x.

County Total Index
Kent 417 12.25x
Middlesex 112 1.12x
Yorkshire 87 0.88x
Isle of Man 80 43.17x
Buckinghamshire 61 10.11x
Essex 54 2.74x
Surrey 40 0.82x
Oxfordshire 39 6.33x
Lancashire 36 0.30x
Gloucestershire 15 0.77x
Berkshire 12 1.60x
Dumfriesshire 8 3.63x
Staffordshire 8 0.24x
Cheshire 7 0.32x
Devon 7 0.34x
Sussex 7 0.42x
Glamorgan 6 0.35x
Cumberland 5 0.58x
Wiltshire 4 0.45x
Derbyshire 3 0.19x
Royal Navy 3 2.52x
Cornwall 2 0.18x
Somerset 2 0.12x
Bedfordshire 1 0.19x
Cardiganshire 1 0.41x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.15x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.08x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashford in Kent leads with 52 Howlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 156.82x.

Place Total Index
Ashford 52 156.82x
Wycombe 42 93.40x
Thame 39 347.90x
Willesborough 30 327.87x
Lyminge 24 821.92x
Islington London 19 1.96x
Andreas 18 358.57x
Bride 18 711.46x
Kensington London 17 3.06x
Faversham 16 49.28x
Folkestone 16 24.23x
Margate St John Baptist 16 25.67x
Mersham 16 647.77x
Rainham 15 160.26x
Fulham London 13 8.98x
Lambeth 13 1.49x
Lezayre 13 156.44x
Monks Horton 13 2549.02x
Boughton Under Blean 12 210.53x
Onchan 11 20.61x
Bermondsey 10 3.37x
Hernhill 10 389.11x
Maughold 10 69.93x
Salford 10 2.87x
Boughton Aluph 9 466.32x
St George Hanover Square 9 5.12x
St Marylebone London 9 1.69x
Camberwell 8 1.26x
Felstead 8 118.52x
Holy Trinity 8 3.36x
Langley 8 583.94x
Manchester 8 1.50x
Sanguhar 8 273.04x
Swinton In Rotherham 8 30.59x
Tonbridge 8 6.51x
Brandsby Cum Stearsby 7 686.27x
Chilham 7 144.33x
Clifton 7 7.08x
Drayton Beauchamp 7 985.92x
East Stamford Bridge 7 514.71x
German Peel 7 65.60x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 7 193.37x
Hastingleigh 7 897.44x
Keighley 7 6.64x
Lewisham 7 3.86x
Little Mongeham 7 1166.67x
Mile End Old Town London 7 3.30x
Sevenoaks 7 25.36x
Stillington 7 341.46x
Wingrave 7 225.81x
Bardfield Saling 6 588.24x
Cardiff St Mary 6 6.27x
Charing 6 130.15x
Chatham 6 6.41x
Godley 6 126.32x
Great Burstead 6 83.68x
Lydd 6 82.30x
Preston Next Wingham 6 392.16x
Smarden 6 154.24x
Smeeth 6 283.02x
Snave 6 1538.46x
St Pancras London 6 0.75x
Toxteth Park 6 1.50x
West Ham 6 1.38x
Ash Next Sandwich 5 66.40x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.12x
Dunkirk 5 197.63x
Ecclesfield 5 6.90x
Great Stanmore 5 111.61x
Ilfracombe 5 23.39x
Little Burstead 5 735.29x
Oldham 5 1.31x
Preston Next Faversham 5 62.50x
Putney 5 10.99x
Reading St Mary 5 8.33x
Rochester St Margaret 5 13.93x
Tanshelf 5 63.29x
Whitstable 5 29.94x
Wolverhampton 5 1.93x
Writtle 5 62.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 76
John 48
Charles 34
Thomas 34
George 33
Henry 29
James 26
Robert 16
Frederick 15
Alfred 14
Richard 13
Walter 12
Arthur 11
Joseph 11
Edward 10
Frank 10
Harry 8
Clark 7
Albert 6
Ernest 6
Benjamin 5
Edwin 4
Percy 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Christopher 3
Leonard 3
Thos. 3
Harman 2
Herbert 2
Philip 2
Robt. 2
Rupert 2
Russen 2
Samuel 2
Alex 1
Allen 1
Anthony 1
Bradfield 1
C.W. 1
Caleb 1
Elgar 1
Eli 1
Ephraim 1
Francis 1
Infant 1
J.W. 1
Jame 1
Jesse 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Howland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 940 people were recorded with the Howland surname. That placed it at #4,099 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,258 in 2016. That gives Howland a modern rank of #4,754.

What does the Howland surname mean?

From a place name meaning "land of the hill" or "high land" in Old English.

What does the Howland map show?

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