How

How common is the last name How?

About this name

We do not yet have a written origin for How, so here is what the census records show.

Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.

Similar spellings

Names nearby in the census

#29,793

How was the 29,793rd most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 789 people, about 0.3 in every 100,000.

Who carries it

White (non-Hispanic)56.6%
Hispanic or Latino3.9%
Black (non-Hispanic)<0.1%
Asian or Pacific Islander35.5%
Two or more races2.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native<0.1%

Check the sources

Forebears: where How is found around the world
The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here

For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.