NameCensus.

UK surname

Howsam

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Howsam surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 343, ranked #13,368, up from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Tattershall and Toynton St Peter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howsam is 350 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.1%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

343

2016, ranked #13,368

Peak year

2000

350 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howsam had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016, ranked #13,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Howsam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howsam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howsam 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 220 #14,088
1997 modern 333 #12,615
1998 modern 335 #12,915
1999 modern 344 #12,776
2000 modern 350 #12,564
2001 modern 338 #12,669
2002 modern 347 #12,699
2003 modern 338 #12,735
2004 modern 331 #12,973
2005 modern 334 #12,818
2006 modern 318 #13,348
2007 modern 326 #13,260
2008 modern 317 #13,632
2009 modern 328 #13,574
2010 modern 331 #13,769
2011 modern 339 #13,404
2012 modern 336 #13,376
2013 modern 341 #13,425
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 338 #13,527
2016 modern 343 #13,368

Geography

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Where Howsams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Tattershall, Toynton St Peter, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Leake. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Selby, Kirklees and Leeds. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 Tattershall Lincolnshire
3 Toynton St Peter Lincolnshire
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Leake Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 042 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Selby 010 Selby
4 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
5 Leeds 033 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howsam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howsam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Howsam, 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 Howsam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Howsam 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, Howsam 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

Howsam is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Howsam falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Howsam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howsam 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 91 Howsams recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.95x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 91 45.95x
Yorkshire 26 2.12x
Northamptonshire 5 4.29x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.80x
Berkshire 1 1.08x
Warwickshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hagworthingham in Lincolnshire leads with 23 Howsams recorded in 1881 and an index of 10952.38x.

Place Total Index
Hagworthingham 23 10952.38x
Brightside Bierlow 8 33.24x
Eston 8 299.63x
Tattershall Thorpe 8 6153.85x
Wainfleet St Mary 8 2666.67x
Leake 6 659.34x
Oxcombe 6 60000.00x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 6 105.26x
Boston 5 83.19x
New Bolingbroke 5 5555.56x
Peterborough 5 59.24x
Louth 4 88.11x
Thorpe St Peter 4 1666.67x
Ashby Puerorum 3 5000.00x
Beckingham 3 1578.95x
Cudworth 3 681.82x
Mareham On Hill 3 5000.00x
Moorby 3 7500.00x
Bardney 2 338.98x
Scamblesby 2 1333.33x
Skegness 2 350.88x
Stixwould 2 2000.00x
Toynton St Peter 2 1428.57x
Binley 1 1250.00x
Goltho 1 2500.00x
Great Grimsby 1 7.96x
Greenham 1 217.39x
Holy Trinity 1 3.39x
South Willingham 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 12
William 9
John 8
James 4
Joseph 4
Isaac 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Jacob 2
Septimus 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Francies 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jason 1
Mark 1
Story 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Howsam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howsam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Howsam surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howsam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016. That gives Howsam a modern rank of #13,368.

What does the Howsam map show?

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