NameCensus.

UK surname

Howorth

An English locational surname derived from a place name originally describing a person from Haworth.

In the 1881 census there were 1,358 people recorded with the Howorth surname, ranking it #3,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 783, ranked #7,047, down from #3,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Calderdale and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howorth is 3,142 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.3%.

1881 census count

1,358

Ranked #3,019

Modern count

783

2016, ranked #7,047

Peak year

1861

3,142 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howorth had 1,358 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 783 in 2016, ranked #7,047.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,142 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Howorth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howorth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howorth 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 2,291 #1,290
1861 historical 3,142 #920
1881 historical 1,358 #3,019
1891 historical 2,052 #2,253
1901 historical 1,557 #3,307
1911 historical 1,498 #3,221
1997 modern 830 #6,353
1998 modern 867 #6,339
1999 modern 885 #6,294
2000 modern 905 #6,154
2001 modern 885 #6,151
2002 modern 887 #6,246
2003 modern 860 #6,294
2004 modern 832 #6,456
2005 modern 819 #6,485
2006 modern 799 #6,638
2007 modern 792 #6,750
2008 modern 806 #6,705
2009 modern 816 #6,775
2010 modern 843 #6,739
2011 modern 824 #6,781
2012 modern 799 #6,835
2013 modern 808 #6,892
2014 modern 800 #7,001
2015 modern 785 #7,047
2016 modern 783 #7,047

Geography

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Where Howorths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Halifax and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Calderdale and Burnley. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Rossendale 003 Rossendale
3 Rossendale 004 Rossendale
4 Calderdale 013 Calderdale
5 Burnley 007 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howorth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howorth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Howorth, 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 Howorth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Howorth 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Howorth is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Howorth is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Howorth falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Howorth

The surname Howorth originates from England, deriving from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a "heel" or "ridge", and "worth", an enclosed homestead or farm. It is believed to have emerged as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived at or near a ridge or raised land.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 12th century, with a reference to a William de Howorth in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1195. The spelling variants Hoghworth, Hogheworth, and Howworth were also found in early records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, the Howorth family was based primarily in Lancashire, England, with records indicating their presence in areas such as Leyland and Penwortham. The name is also associated with the village of Howorth, located near the town of Rochdale.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Howorth, a Member of Parliament for Preston in 1597. Another was Sir Henry Howorth, born in 1842, a distinguished British historian and prolific writer on various subjects, including numismatics and Central Asian history.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Visitation of Lancashire in 1664, which documented the pedigrees of families in the county. The Howorth family was recognized as an ancient Lancashire family with a coat of arms.

Other notable individuals with the Howorth surname include Sir Henry Hoyle Howorth (1842-1923), a British lawyer, historian, and numismatist; Michael Howorth (1853-1925), a British politician and Member of Parliament; and Sir Humphrey Howorth (1904-1988), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Fiji and Western Pacific High Commissioner.

The Howorth name has also been associated with various places and geographical features, such as Howorth Moor and Howorth Cross, both located in Lancashire, England, reflecting the name's locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howorth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howorth 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 1,056 Howorths recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.81x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,056 6.81x
Yorkshire 181 1.40x
Durham 24 0.62x
Surrey 16 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.80x
Westmorland 12 4.18x
Kent 10 0.22x
Staffordshire 5 0.11x
Warwickshire 4 0.12x
Cheshire 3 0.10x
Middlesex 3 0.02x
Midlothian 3 0.17x
Norfolk 3 0.15x
Devon 2 0.07x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Sussex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 301 Howorths recorded in 1881 and an index of 174.68x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 301 174.68x
Newchurch 265 208.99x
Langfield 63 278.15x
Blackburn 52 12.61x
Stansfield 38 79.78x
Todmorden Walsden 36 86.71x
Habergham Eaves 34 24.00x
Preston 27 6.51x
Heap 26 31.63x
Castleton 20 12.92x
Rochdale 20 176.99x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 17 102.66x
Great Little Marsden 17 23.94x
Kearsley 16 49.06x
Clayton Le Moors 15 49.88x
Accrington 14 9.94x
Brightside Bierlow 12 4.73x
Mansergh 12 1121.50x
Mansfield 12 19.70x
Tottington Lower End 12 16.29x
Blatchinworth 10 28.34x
Woolwich 10 6.07x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 2.66x
Elland Cum Greetland 9 15.43x
Wardleworth 9 10.16x
Halifax 8 4.21x
Hipperholme Cum 8 14.07x
Hopwood 8 39.49x
Over Darwen 8 6.46x
Darlington 7 4.67x
Great Harwood 7 24.98x
Great Lever 7 42.58x
Halliwell 7 12.41x
Lambeth 7 0.61x
Layton With Warbreck 7 12.31x
Stranton 7 5.35x
West Derby 7 1.54x
Bermondsey 6 1.54x
Bolton By Bowland 6 191.08x
Elton 6 11.20x
Leeds 6 0.82x
Walton Le Dale 6 14.41x
Wuerdle Wardle 6 12.75x
Birkdale 5 12.75x
Bishopwearmouth 5 1.50x
Bury 5 2.82x
Haslingden 5 7.79x
Orrell 5 25.95x
Thornton In Bradford 5 11.60x
Broughton In Salford 4 2.82x
Burnley 4 3.06x
Chorley 4 4.60x
Cleckheaton 4 8.39x
Cliviger 4 45.82x
Great Crosby 4 9.47x
Horton In Bradford 4 1.98x
Liverpool 4 0.42x
Manchester 4 0.57x
Pilsworth 4 117.30x
Tonge 4 12.30x
Toxteth Park 4 0.76x
Billington 3 47.39x
Birmingham 3 0.27x
Camberwell 3 0.36x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 7.25x
Hunslet 3 1.49x
Middleton In Oldham 3 6.46x
Southwick 3 8.15x
St Marylebone London 3 0.43x
Tipton 3 2.22x
Barnsley 2 1.50x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 1.71x
Dalton In Huddersfield 2 6.90x
Doncaster 2 2.12x
Farnworth 2 2.15x
Nottingham St Mary 2 0.44x
Skipton 2 4.91x
Swaffham 2 12.24x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 2 7.79x
Wolverhampton 2 0.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 117
James 91
William 66
Thomas 37
George 33
Henry 33
Robert 28
Richard 20
Joseph 14
Charles 12
Samuel 12
Albert 9
Edward 8
Abraham 7
David 7
Fred 7
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Wm. 6
Edmund 5
Thos. 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 3
Jeremiah 3
Willie 3
Barker 2
Dennis 2
Eli 2
Ellis 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Hartley 2
Harvey 2
Herbert 2
Howorth 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Jeremy 2
Lord 2
Luke 2
Matthew 2
Ralph 2
Sam 2
Young 2
Emmanuel 1

FAQ

Howorth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howorth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,358 people were recorded with the Howorth surname. That placed it at #3,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howorth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 783 in 2016. That gives Howorth a modern rank of #7,047.

What does the Howorth surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name originally describing a person from Haworth.

What does the Howorth map show?

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