Contents [hide]

Howes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Howes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Howes is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived near a hill or steep ridge of land. The surname Howes is usually derived from the Old English word hoh, which means heel or projecting ridge of land. However, it is sometimes derived from the Old Norse word haugr, which means mound or hill.

Furthermore, the name Howes may be derived from a residence in one of the many similarly named places: Hoe is in Norfolk, Hoo is in Kent, places called Hooe are in Devon and Sussex, Hose is in Leicestershire, places named Heugh are in Durham and Northumberland, and settlements called Hough are found in both Cheshire and Derby.

Early Origins of the Howes family

The surname Howes was first found in Berkshire, where the name could also have been a baptismal name as in "son of Hugh," 1 while another reference claims the name has geographical significance as in the south: "a small round hill" and in the north: "a hollow place or plain." The medieval form of the name is "At How" and is usually synonymous with Hill, having derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "how," meaning "mountain." 2

However, we must look to Cambridgeshire to find the first listings on the name, where Roger del Howes and Richard del Howes were listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1

"The church [of Withington, Gloucestershire] is a cruciform structure, principally in the Norman style, but partly of later date: among the monuments is a handsome one to the memory of Sir John How(e), his wife, and nine children, in a small cross aisle on the south side of the church, the burial-place of the family." 3

Early History of the Howes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Howes research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1607, 1611, 1625, 1627, 1631, 1632, 1635, 1644, 1648, 1650, 1654, 1656, 1657, 1659, 1660, 1671, 1673, 1676, 1679, 1685, 1689, 1691, 1692, 1700, 1701, 1713, 1722, 1732, 1733, 1735 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Howes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howes Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Howes are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Howes include: Howe, Howes, How and others.

Early Notables of the Howes family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Howe, 1st Baronet (died 1671), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1654 to 1656; John Grobham Howe (1625-1679), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1679, Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire; Sir George Grobham Howe, 1st Baronet (c.1627-1676), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1676; Elizabeth Jackson Howe (c...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Howes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howes Ranking

In the United States, the name Howes is the 4,575^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Howes is ranked the 798^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,503 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Howes family to Ireland

Some of the Howes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howes migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Howes or a variant listed above:

Howes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Marie Howes, aged 18, who arrived in Isla de Providencia in 1635 aboard the ship "Expectation" 6
Thomas Howes, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 6
Abel Howes, who arrived in New England in 1642 6
Ann Howes, who landed in Maryland in 1653 6
Jones Howes, who landed in Virginia in 1658 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Howes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Howes, aged 18, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 6

Howes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Cubit Howes, aged 23, who landed in New York in 1806 6
Mrs. Sarah Howes, (b. 1844), aged 44, Cornish miner departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "City of Chicago" arriving in New York, USA on 17 December 1888 7
Miss Margt Ann Howes, (b. 1877), aged 11, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "City of Chicago" arriving in New York, USA on 17 December 1888 7
Mr. Herbert T. Howes, (b. 1885), aged 3, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "City of Chicago" arriving in New York, USA on 17 December 1888 7
Miss Howes, (b. 1888), aged 11 months, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "City of Chicago" arriving in New York, USA on 17 December 1888 7

Howes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Howes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Gerard Howes, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1803
John Howes, aged 35, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland

Howes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Howes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Howes, English convict from Northampton, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Robert Howes, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 9
Mr. Edward Howes, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. James Howes, English convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11
Hortensia Howes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Howes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Howes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J Howes, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Joseph Howes, aged 21, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Mary Ann Howes, aged 20, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Miss Eliza C. Howes, (b. 1846), aged 22, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 13
William Howes, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Howes (post 1700) +

John Forman Howes (1924-2017), American Professor of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia
Willis H. Howes, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1892 14
William Washington Howes (1887-1962), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 22nd District, 1917-18; Member of Democratic National Committee from South Dakota, 1924-40 First Assistant U.S. Postmaster General 14
Thomas Howes, American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 20th District, 1877 14
Thomas Howes, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Otsego County, 1818-19 14
Roy C. Howes (1912-2002), American Republican politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wexford District, 1961-62 ; Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wexford District, 1962 14
Richard R. Howes, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Senator from Maryland, 1968 14
R. N. Howes Sr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1936 14
Neal Howes, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Huntersville, North Carolina, 2007 14
Joseph W. Howes, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Montreal, 1861-64 14
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Howes family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Frank Howes (1861-1914), English First Class Passenger from Birmingham, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 15

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html