NameCensus.

UK surname

Howley

Derived from a place name meaning "Hugh's clearing" in Old English, or from the Irish surname Ó hEochaidh, meaning "descendant of Eochaidh."

In the 1881 census there were 646 people recorded with the Howley surname, ranking it #5,519 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,372, ranked #4,397, up from #5,519 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Shropshire and Carfin North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howley is 1,488 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 112.4%.

1881 census count

646

Ranked #5,519

Modern count

1,372

2016, ranked #4,397

Peak year

2010

1,488 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howley had 646 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,519 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,372 in 2016, ranked #4,397.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 909 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Howley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Howley 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 347 #6,781
1861 historical 676 #3,973
1881 historical 646 #5,519
1891 historical 861 #4,762
1901 historical 909 #5,107
1911 historical 888 #5,012
1997 modern 1,344 #4,279
1998 modern 1,374 #4,338
1999 modern 1,410 #4,277
2000 modern 1,428 #4,224
2001 modern 1,394 #4,236
2002 modern 1,410 #4,274
2003 modern 1,387 #4,254
2004 modern 1,381 #4,278
2005 modern 1,380 #4,238
2006 modern 1,386 #4,227
2007 modern 1,403 #4,224
2008 modern 1,407 #4,243
2009 modern 1,437 #4,247
2010 modern 1,488 #4,210
2011 modern 1,462 #4,217
2012 modern 1,382 #4,344
2013 modern 1,416 #4,329
2014 modern 1,403 #4,388
2015 modern 1,376 #4,408
2016 modern 1,372 #4,397

Geography

Back to top

Where Howleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Liverpool, Keighley and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Shropshire, Carfin North, Fauldhouse and Kirklees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 107 Leeds
2 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
3 Carfin North North Lanarkshire
4 Fauldhouse West Lothian
5 Kirklees 016 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Howley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Howley

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Howley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Howley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Howley 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

Howley 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

Howley falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Howley 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Howley

The surname Howley has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning a hollow or sunken ground, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near a hollow or sunken meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Radulfus de Hola in Warwickshire. This entry is thought to be an early spelling variation of Howley.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as Holay, Holley, and Holleye, further indicating its connection to the Old English words for a hollow and a clearing. These spelling variations continued to be used throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir William Howley, a British politician and judge who lived in the 15th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire and later became a justice of the Common Pleas.

In the 17th century, the name Howley can be found in the records of several English parishes, including those in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire. This suggests that the name had spread across various regions of England by this time.

Another prominent individual with the surname Howley was William Howley, who lived from 1766 to 1848. He was an English clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 until his death.

The name Howley has also been associated with some notable place names in England. For example, the village of Howley in Warwickshire may have derived its name from the surname, although the exact connection is uncertain.

Other individuals of historical significance who bore the surname Howley include Robert Howley (1824-1914), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club, and Sir Michael Howley (1925-2011), a British diplomat and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Throughout its history, the surname Howley has maintained its connection to its Old English roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergymen, sportsmen, and diplomats.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Howley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howley 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. Lancashire leads with 222 Howleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 222 2.97x
Yorkshire 155 2.48x
Gloucestershire 44 3.56x
Durham 31 1.65x
Staffordshire 30 1.41x
Worcestershire 26 3.16x
Surrey 21 0.68x
Middlesex 20 0.32x
Cheshire 16 1.15x
Lanarkshire 10 0.49x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.06x
Kent 8 0.37x
Renfrewshire 8 1.64x
Hampshire 7 0.54x
Angus 4 0.69x
Oxfordshire 4 1.03x
Sussex 4 0.38x
Essex 3 0.24x
Northamptonshire 3 0.51x
Northumberland 3 0.32x
Warwickshire 3 0.19x
Wiltshire 3 0.54x
Glamorgan 2 0.18x
Herefordshire 2 0.77x
Suffolk 2 0.26x
Leicestershire 1 0.14x
Midlothian 1 0.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.22x
Norfolk 1 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.50x
Somerset 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 52 Howleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.45x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 52 11.45x
Keighley 50 75.12x
Everton 23 9.65x
West Derby 18 8.23x
Kidderminster Borough 16 33.22x
Oxenhall 14 2745.10x
Hunslet 13 13.35x
Leeds 13 3.69x
West Bromwich 12 9.85x
Burnley 11 17.47x
Chester St Oswald 11 43.67x
Clayton Le Moors 11 75.81x
Govan 10 1.98x
Great Bolton 10 10.10x
Seaham 10 146.41x
Wardleworth 9 21.06x
Bowling 8 12.93x
Bradford 8 5.29x
Daglingworth 8 1111.11x
Holy Trinity 8 5.33x
Manningham 8 10.40x
Renfrew 8 49.60x
Trimdon 8 120.66x
Wigan 8 7.66x
Camberwell 7 1.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 5.51x
Heworth 7 18.95x
Horton In Bradford 7 7.18x
Manchester 7 2.08x
South Littleton 7 1000.00x
Toxteth Park 7 2.76x
Battersea 6 2.59x
Chelsea London 6 3.16x
Haslingden 6 19.38x
Moss Side 6 15.25x
Newchurch 6 9.81x
Oldham 6 2.49x
Thrybergh 6 1333.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 3.06x
Bilston 5 12.13x
Carlton In Lindrick 5 221.24x
Wednesbury 5 9.41x
Withington 5 370.37x
Witton 5 53.14x
Wolverhampton 5 3.06x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 6.88x
East Grinstead 4 26.60x
Habergham Eaves 4 5.85x
Halifax 4 4.36x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.82x
Wandsworth 4 6.59x
Aldershot 3 6.93x
Ardwick 3 4.45x
Bishop Auckland 3 11.93x
Caversham 3 38.56x
Chipping Campden 3 74.63x
Cirencester 3 17.93x
Coates 3 297.03x
Croydon 3 1.76x
Dundee 3 1.38x
East Ardsley 3 55.45x
Ince In Makerfield 3 8.62x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.24x
Plumstead 3 4.19x
Shorncote 3 3750.00x
Walthamstow 3 6.70x
Walton On Hill 3 7.41x
Warrington 3 3.38x
Woolwich 3 3.78x
Aston 2 0.46x
Blackburn 2 1.01x
Cheetham 2 3.59x
Colne 2 8.98x
Great Little Marsden 2 5.84x
Middlesbrough 2 2.46x
St Helens 2 21.30x
Thornaby 2 8.57x
Tottenham 2 1.99x
Westgate 2 3.44x
Whitby 2 9.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 70
Ann 15
Catherine 15
Ellen 15
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 11
Bridget 9
Jane 9
Eliza 8
Alice 7
Emma 7
Charlotte 6
Julia 6
Margaret 6
Maria 6
Annie 5
Margret 5
Winifred 5
Agnes 4
Anne 4
Clara 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Caroline 2
Catharine 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Teresa 2
Atty 1
Bridgett 1
Cathrine 1
Elizth. 1
Eugenie 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Josephine 1
Katharine 1
Katie 1
Lavinia 1
Lottie 1
Love 1
M. 1
Maggie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 64
Thomas 41
James 32
Patrick 23
Edward 21
Michael 19
William 19
George 12
Martin 8
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Anthony 3
Bernard 3
Charles 3
Daniel 3
Francis 3
Joseph 3
Timothy 3
Walter 3
Henry 2
Luke 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Bernet 1
Clemont 1
Cornelius 1
Ernest 1
Evers 1
Feady 1
Frances 1
Fransis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Joshua 1
Maling 1
Mark 1
Martha 1
Michel 1
Oliver 1
Pat 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Howley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 646 people were recorded with the Howley surname. That placed it at #5,519 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,372 in 2016. That gives Howley a modern rank of #4,397.

What does the Howley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Hugh's clearing" in Old English, or from the Irish surname Ó hEochaidh, meaning "descendant of Eochaidh."

What does the Howley map show?

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