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Origins of the Howe surname

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What does the name Howe mean?

Howe is an English and Scottish surname with a number of supposed origins, most often found in Orkney and the North of England. One hypothesised origin of the Howe surname is geographic, from the Old English 'hol', meaning 'hollow' or 'dell'. Another has similar roots, but comes from the Old Norse 'haugr', meaning mound, knoll or hill.

Alternative variations of the name Howe

Howe, Howes, Hows, Howze, House, Howse, How

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Where do most Howes live?

In 1921, most Howes lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Howes

How common is your surname?

346th most common surname in the UK

We have 120,000 records for the Howe surname. The oldest one dates back to 1539.

Who were Howes most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Howes.

What are the most common Howe first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Howe family members

Common jobs for Howes

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Howes in 1921
Dressmaker

547

Laundress

308

General Servant Domestic

301

Domestic Servant

268

House Servant

211

Common Male occupations for Howes in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

580

Coal Miner

466

General Labourer

441

Farm Labourer

345

Carpenter

267

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We found over 320,000 family trees with the Howe surname

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