Houghes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Houghes family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found near a hill or steep ridge of land. The surname Houghes 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 Houghes 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 Houghes family

The surname Houghes 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 Houghes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houghes 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 Houghes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houghes Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Houghes include Howe, Howes, How and others.

Early Notables of the Houghes 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 Houghes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Houghes family to Ireland

Some of the Houghes 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.

Migration of the Houghes family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Houghes or a variant listed above: Isaac Howe, Ephraim Howe, Elizabeth Howe, Edward Howe, William Howe, and Sarah Howe, who all came to Boston in 1635; Daniel Howe and Edward Howe, who settled in Lynn Massachusetts in 1636.

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.