2000
#3,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,019
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.08
Uncommon Last name
Houghton
From a place name meaning "town on a hill," derived from Old English "hoh" (ridge) and "tun" (enclosure, settlement).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,396 Americans carry the last name Houghton. That puts it at #3,260 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,650 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Houghton surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Houghton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,650
Census rank
#3,260
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,810 bearers of the surname Houghton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3260th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Houghton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Houghton
The surname Houghton originates from England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a ridge or heel-shaped hill, and "tun" meaning a settlement or enclosure. The name literally refers to a settlement situated on or near a ridge or hill.
Houghton is found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, and Yorkshire. It is believed that the name was first recorded as a place name before becoming a surname. The earliest known record of the place name Houghton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several locations with variations of the name, such as Hoctun, Houghton, and Hohtun.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Houghton is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1175, which mentions a person named William de Houghton. In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a Robert de Houghton.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Houghton. One of the most prominent figures was Michael Houghton (1629-1681), an English Puritan minister and writer who published several works on religious subjects. Another notable bearer of the name was John Houghton (c. 1487-1535), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the English Reformation for denying the supremacy of Henry VIII over the Church.
In the realm of science, Sir Douglas Houghton (1898-1987) was a British chemist who made significant contributions to the study of liquid crystals and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963. Another notable figure was William Edward Houghton (1828-1895), an English meteorologist who made important contributions to the study of atmospheric science and weather forecasting.
A more recent individual with the surname Houghton was Henry Houghton (1823-1909), an American publisher and founder of the Houghton Mifflin publishing company, which has played a significant role in the publishing industry since its establishment in 1832.
While the surname Houghton has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. However, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon settlements in England, where the name originated as a locational identifier for those living near a ridge or hill.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Houghton
Among Census respondents with the surname Houghton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Houghton bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Houghton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 9,587
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 437
- Two or more races3.3% · 360
- Black or African American2.2% · 236
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 86
Timeline
Historical Census data for Houghton
Houghton appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,184
+165 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 3.79
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#3,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,810
-374 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,016 | 11,019 | 4.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,228 | 11,184 | 3.79 | +165 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #3,260 | 10,810 | 3.62 | -374 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Houghton surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,228 | #3,260 | -1.0% |
| Count | 11,184 | 10,810 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.79 | 3.62 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Houghton bearers went from 11,184 to 10,810 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,228 to #3,260.
FAQ
Houghton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Houghton?
Name Census estimates that about 12,396 living Americans carry the surname Houghton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,650 residents.
How common is Houghton?
Houghton ranks #3,260 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,810 people with the surname Houghton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,396), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Houghton.
Has Houghton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Houghton went from 11,184 recorded bearers to 10,810. That is a decrease of 374 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,228 to #3,260.
What does the Census say about the background of Houghton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Houghton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Houghton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (9,587 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Houghton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Houghton (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Houghton mean?
From a place name meaning "town on a hill," derived from Old English "hoh" (ridge) and "tun" (enclosure, settlement). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Houghton (3.62 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Houghton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.