Meaning and origin
The last name Howe has its origin in medieval England, derived from the Old Norse personal name Hává, meaning "high" or "elevated." This name evolved to become Hawe and ultimately transformed into Howe, incorporating both Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon influences. The surname likely emerged as a patronymic form, indicating descent from someone named Hává or a similar variant. Over time, the name spread across different regions, and various branches of the Howe family emerged, bearing witness to the complex intermingling of cultures and histories that shaped its etymology.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#820
Howe was the 820th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 42,265 people, about 14 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Howe
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Howe 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.