Find out how popular the last name Howe is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Howe.

Howe, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Howe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Howe in America

Howe is the 820th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Howe surname appeared 42,265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Howe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Howe to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Howe

The surname Howe originated in England, likely in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hoh," meaning a heel or ridge of land. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived on or near a ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Howe are found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders in England. These include entries for William de la Howe in Oxfordshire and Robert de la Howe in Cambridgeshire.

The name Howe is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, it is listed as a place name, such as Howe in Norfolk and Howe in Derbyshire, rather than a surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Howe was John Howe, who was born around 1370 in Lancashire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1396.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Howe, who lived from 1486 to 1547. He was a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, and served as Treasurer of the Household.

In the 17th century, John Howe (1630-1705) was a prominent English Puritan theologian and pastor. He was a leading figure in the non-conformist movement and wrote several influential works on theology and religious liberty.

Sir William Howe (1729-1814) was a British Army officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces during the American Revolutionary War. He led the British troops in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the capture of Philadelphia.

Another famous bearer of the name was the English novelist and poet William Howe (1797-1864), who wrote several popular works of fiction and poetry in the early 19th century, including "The Deserted Village" and "The Shepherd's Calendar."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Howe

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Howe.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Howe was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Howe has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Howe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Howe, please contact us.

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