Show ContentsHowsemant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Howsemant

What does the name Howsemant mean?

The origins of the Howsemant surname lie with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name Howsemant began when someone in that family worked as a person employed "at the house." In most cases, this was a religious house or convent. The surname Howsemant is derived from the Old English word hus, which means house, and the word man, which means servant. 1

Early Origins of the Howsemant family

The surname Howsemant was first found in Yorkshire where Johannes Howsman was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. A few years earlier John Houseman was found in Colchester, Essex in 1365. 2

"This surname, early found in Yorkshire, crossed the border and settled in the neighbourhood of Lancaster. A well-known vicar of Lancaster bore this name at the beginning of the century. Two hundred years earlier the name occurs in local Wills." 3

Early History of the Howsemant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Howsemant research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1365, 1604, 1622, 1630, 1636, 1696, 1714, 1759 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Howsemant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howsemant Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Howsemant has appeared include Houseman, Housemayne, Houssemayne, Housman, Howseman and many more.

Early Notables of the Howsemant family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Howsemant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Howsemant family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Howsemant arrived in North America very early: William Houseman, who sailed to Barbados in 1635; John Houseman to Virginia in 1699; William Howsman to Nova Scotia in 1749; Henry Houseman to Carolina in 1774.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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