2000
#7,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Howarth
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosed settlement" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,464 Americans carry the last name Howarth. That puts it at #8,140 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,782 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Howarth 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 Howarth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,782
Census rank
#8,140
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,893 bearers of the surname Howarth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8140th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Howarth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Howarth
The surname Howarth is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hoor" meaning "hoar" or "grey" and "worth" meaning "an enclosure or homestead." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where many early records of the name can be found.
The earliest known record of the surname Howarth dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273 as "Howarth." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Howart, Howath, Howworth, and Howorth, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.
One notable historical reference to the name Howarth can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Horewrde" in reference to a landowner in Yorkshire. This record suggests that the name may have been in use even earlier than the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the name Howarth appeared in several Lancashire records, such as the Lancashire Wills and Inventories from 1548-1625, where individuals with the surname Howarth are mentioned. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Howarth, born in 1520 in Lancashire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Howarth. One of the most prominent figures was William Howarth (1592-1647), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who represented Lancashire in the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Howarth (1664-1735), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in Lancashire and is known for his work on the motion of the moon and the calculation of eclipses.
In the literary world, Ellen Howarth (1827-1899) was a British novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name "Louisa" and published several well-received works in the 19th century, including "The Early Life of Jesus" and "Lyrics and Legends."
Additionally, Edward Howarth (1914-1992) was a British novelist and playwright best known for his works "The Samson Twins" and "The Student Prince," which explored themes of identity and social class in post-war Britain.
Another notable figure was Thomas Howarth (1841-1927), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the mechanical printing press. His innovations revolutionized the printing industry in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Howarth
Among Census respondents with the surname Howarth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Howarth 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 Howarth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 3,558
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 141
- Two or more races2.5% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 27
- Black or African American0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Howarth
Howarth 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
#7,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,269
+87 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 436 places
2020
#8,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,893
-376 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,338 | 4,182 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,774 | 4,269 | 1.45 | +87 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 436 places |
| 2020 | #8,140 | 3,893 | 1.30 | -376 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 366 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 Howarth 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 | #7,774 | #8,140 | -4.7% |
| Count | 4,269 | 3,893 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.30 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Howarth bearers went from 4,269 to 3,893 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 366 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,774 to #8,140.
FAQ
Howarth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Howarth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,464 living Americans carry the surname Howarth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,782 residents.
How common is Howarth?
Howarth ranks #8,140 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,893 people with the surname Howarth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,464), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Howarth.
Has Howarth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Howarth went from 4,269 recorded bearers to 3,893. That is a decrease of 376 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,774 to #8,140.
What does the Census say about the background of Howarth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Howarth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Howarth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (3,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Howarth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Howarth (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 Howarth mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosed settlement" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Howarth (1.30 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 people are called Howarth?
If you just want to know how common the surname Howarth is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.