NameCensus.

UK surname

Howton

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "high town."

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Howton surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barlborough, London parishes and Dartford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Northampton and Bedford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Howton is 171 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.8%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1998

171 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Howton had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 168 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Howton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Howton surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Howton 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 137 #18,880
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 171 #19,956
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 152 #21,294
2002 modern 158 #21,178
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 159 #21,387
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Howtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barlborough, London parishes, Dartford, St Marylebone and Sittingbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Northampton, Bedford and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Barlborough Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dartford Kent
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Sittingbourne Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 025 Swindon
2 Northampton 011 Northampton
3 Bedford 010 Bedford
4 Aylesbury Vale 001 Aylesbury Vale
5 Northampton 004 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Howton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Howton

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Howton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Howton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Howton 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

Howton 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

Howton 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 Howton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Howton

The surname Howton is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from a place name, potentially a town or village where the earliest bearers of the name resided or held land.

One theory suggests that Howton is a variant spelling of the Old English word "hoh," meaning "heel" or "ridge," combined with the word "tun," meaning "farm" or "settlement." This indicates that the name may have referred to a settlement situated on a ridge or hill.

Early records of the surname Howton can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with similar surnames, such as Hoghton and Houghton. The Domesday Book of 1086, while not explicitly mentioning Howton, does contain entries for places with similar names, like Houghton and Hooton.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Howton was John Howton, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another notable figure was Thomas Howton, born around 1450, who served as a member of the English Parliament representing Cambridgeshire in 1472.

In the 16th century, the surname Howton appeared in various parish records, such as those of St. Mary's Church in Islington, where the baptism of William Howton was recorded in 1568. The Visitation of Nottinghamshire in 1614 also mentioned a family with the Howton surname.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Howton have left their mark. These include:

1. Sir Richard Howton (c. 1530-1599), an English politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1588. 2. Henry Howton (1609-1681), a prominent Puritan preacher and author from Oxfordshire. 3. Elizabeth Howton (c. 1645-1710), a renowned Quaker minister and writer from Yorkshire. 4. John Howton (1717-1785), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal. 5. William Howton (1798-1872), a noted historian and antiquarian who authored several works on the history of Yorkshire.

While the exact origins of the surname Howton may be debated, it is evident that this name has a rich history spanning centuries, with bearers hailing from various regions of England and making significant contributions across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Howton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Howton 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. Middlesex leads with 25 Howtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.20x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 3.20x
Kent 10 3.76x
Yorkshire 9 1.16x
Essex 7 4.54x
Derbyshire 6 4.91x
Monmouthshire 6 10.64x
Devon 4 2.46x
Bedfordshire 3 7.43x
Cambridgeshire 2 4.05x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.90x
Durham 1 0.43x
Hertfordshire 1 1.86x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.80x
Surrey 1 0.26x
Worcestershire 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 16 Howtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.16x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 16 21.16x
Sittingbourne 7 333.33x
Barlborough 6 1333.33x
Paddington London 6 20.91x
St Woollos 6 95.24x
Manningham 5 52.47x
Wrabness 4 6666.67x
Colchester St Giles 3 197.37x
Luton 3 42.92x
East Stonehouse 2 62.50x
Hipperholme Cum 2 58.82x
Kensington London 2 4.61x
Radford 2 37.45x
St Andrewthe Less 2 35.40x
Bishopton 1 1111.11x
Bromley 1 24.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 6.80x
Claines 1 35.71x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 47.39x
Devonport 1 53.48x
Ewell 1 125.00x
Fylingdales 1 256.41x
Greenwich 1 8.05x
Holy Trinity 1 5.38x
Navenby 1 384.62x
Plymouth Charles The 1 13.97x
Shoreditch London 1 2.96x
Watford 1 23.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Julia 3
Maria 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Margaret 2
Adelaide 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charity 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Hester 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Maud 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 4
Richard 4
William 4
John 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Christopher 1
E. 1
Fredk. 1
Granville 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Nathaniel 1
Robert 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Howton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Howton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Howton surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Howton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Howton a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Howton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "high town."

What does the Howton map show?

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