2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Howerin
Of Irish origin, potentially derived from the Gaelic personal name Sadhbh meaning "sweet" or "pleasant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Howerin. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Howerin 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Howerin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Howerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Howerin
The surname "Howerin" is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "howe" meaning a hill or mound, and "erin" which was a common suffix used to denote a place or location. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a particular hill or elevated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The entry "Robert de Howerin" is listed among those who gave their oath.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname Howerin was Sir William Howerin, a Scottish knight and landowner who fought alongside King James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He was born around 1480 and died on the battlefield during that fateful conflict.
Another historical reference can be found in the cartulary of the Cistercian Abbey of Cupar in Fife, Scotland, where a certain "Robertus Howerin" is mentioned as a witness to a land grant in the year 1326.
During the 16th century, there are records of a family called Howerin residing in the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. One member of this family, John Howerin (born circa 1540), was a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at the University of Glasgow and later became a minister in the Church of Scotland.
In the 17th century, a man named James Howerin (1612-1687) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire. He was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in local politics.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname "Howerin" throughout history, but many more can be found in various historical records, manuscripts, and genealogical sources from Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Howerin
Among Census respondents with the surname Howerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Howerin 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 Howerin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Howerin
Howerin 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,478 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+14 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 16,478 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 12,964 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 Howerin 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 | #157,234 | #144,270 | 8.2% |
| Count | 103 | 117 | 13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Howerin bearers went from 103 to 117 (+13.6% change). The surname moved up 12,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #144,270.
FAQ
Howerin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Howerin?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Howerin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Howerin?
Howerin ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Howerin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Howerin.
Has Howerin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Howerin went from 103 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 14 (+13.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Howerin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Howerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Howerin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Howerin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (0.9%). 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 Howerin (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 Howerin mean?
Of Irish origin, potentially derived from the Gaelic personal name Sadhbh meaning "sweet" or "pleasant." 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 Howerin (0.04 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 share the surname Howerin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.