2000
#9,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Houseman
An occupational surname referring to a servant or someone who manages a household.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,406 Americans carry the last name Houseman. That puts it at #10,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,633 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Houseman 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 Houseman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,633
Census rank
#10,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,970 bearers of the surname Houseman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Houseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Houseman
The surname HOUSEMAN originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hus" meaning house and "mann" meaning man, referring to someone who was a house servant or domestic worker. The name was initially spelled Husman or Houseman.
The earliest known recording of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as Huseman. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over the following centuries, the name appeared in various historical records across different counties in England, with variations in spelling such as Housman, Howseman, and Howesman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is John Housman, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1230. Another early bearer of the name was William Howseman, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
The surname HOUSEMAN was particularly prevalent in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, and Lancashire. Some notable individuals with this surname include:
1. A.E. Housman (1859-1936), a renowned English classical scholar and poet, best known for his collection "A Shropshire Lad."
2. Laurence Housman (1865-1959), an English writer and illustrator, and the younger brother of A.E. Housman.
3. John Houseman (1902-1988), an English-American actor and producer, who won an Academy Award for his role in the film "The Paper Chase."
4. Clement Housman (1841-1927), an English artist and wood engraver, and the eldest brother of A.E. Housman and Laurence Housman.
5. Gerard Housman (1924-2008), an English actor and writer, known for his roles in television series such as "The Avengers" and "Upstairs, Downstairs."
The HOUSEMAN surname has a long and rich history in England, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and its association with domestic service. It has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, including literature, arts, and entertainment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Houseman
Among Census respondents with the surname Houseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Houseman 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 Houseman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 2,683
- Two or more races3.6% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 105
- Black or African American1.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Houseman
Houseman 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
#10,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,091
-36 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 878 places
2020
#10,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,970
-121 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,536 | 3,127 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,414 | 3,091 | 1.05 | -36 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 878 places |
| 2020 | #10,318 | 2,970 | 0.99 | -121 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 96 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 Houseman 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 | #10,414 | #10,318 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,091 | 2,970 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.99 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Houseman bearers went from 3,091 to 2,970 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,414 to #10,318.
FAQ
Houseman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Houseman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,406 living Americans carry the surname Houseman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,633 residents.
How common is Houseman?
Houseman ranks #10,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,970 people with the surname Houseman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Houseman.
Has Houseman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Houseman went from 3,091 recorded bearers to 2,970. That is a decrease of 121 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,414 to #10,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Houseman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Houseman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Houseman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (2,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Houseman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Houseman (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 Houseman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a servant or someone who manages a household. 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 Houseman (0.99 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 Houseman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.