How Surname
Approximately 21,448 people bear this surname
How Surname Definition:
This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Hugh'; How, in South England. 'Howe, Hewe, propyr name, Hugo': Promptorium Parvulorum (a) Local, 'of the howes.' How, a hill, a mound; compare Silver How and Fox How in the Lake district of England.
Read More About This SurnameHow Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 9,266 | 1:3,183 | 478 |
| England | 1,850 | 1:30,118 | 4,044 |
| Bangladesh | 1,532 | 1:104,019 | 4,444 |
| United States | 1,346 | 1:269,286 | 25,316 |
| Mauritius | 1,162 | 1:1,113 | 129 |
| Australia | 1,109 | 1:24,342 | 3,339 |
| Singapore | 1,074 | 1:5,128 | 343 |
| India | 808 | 1:949,338 | 40,650 |
| Canada | 588 | 1:62,663 | 7,331 |
| Saudi Arabia | 557 | 1:55,396 | 7,891 |
| Thailand | 376 | 1:187,868 | 30,871 |
| Indonesia | 267 | 1:495,315 | 40,583 |
| New Zealand | 212 | 1:21,360 | 3,753 |
| United Arab Emirates | 157 | 1:58,358 | 5,656 |
| Brunei | 152 | 1:2,755 | 475 |
| Philippines | 118 | 1:857,951 | 79,570 |
| Qatar | 94 | 1:25,085 | 2,628 |
| China | 87 | 1:15,716,340 | 917 |
| South Africa | 85 | 1:637,385 | 47,411 |
| Scotland | 72 | 1:74,359 | 5,625 |
| Hong Kong | 70 | 1:104,793 | 1,905 |
| France | 46 | 1:1,443,972 | 140,296 |
| Norway | 36 | 1:142,841 | 18,058 |
| Wales | 34 | 1:91,016 | 7,411 |
| Brazil | 28 | 1:7,645,512 | 174,288 |
| Portugal | 28 | 1:372,080 | 12,265 |
| Panama | 27 | 1:144,898 | 4,800 |
| Netherlands | 25 | 1:675,487 | 54,943 |
| Ireland | 21 | 1:224,235 | 8,707 |
| Sweden | 21 | 1:468,893 | 33,666 |
| Afghanistan | 19 | 1:1,692,273 | 13,110 |
| Iran | 16 | 1:4,798,908 | 119,068 |
| Nicaragua | 16 | 1:376,318 | 3,295 |
| Papua New Guinea | 15 | 1:543,581 | 66,712 |
| Taiwan | 10 | 1:2,344,475 | 14,894 |
| Myanmar | 9 | 1:5,770,887 | 975 |
| Belize | 7 | 1:50,782 | 2,565 |
| Argentina | 7 | 1:6,106,202 | 178,634 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 1:35,728,777 | 102,388 |
| Liberia | 5 | 1:881,707 | 33,815 |
| Nigeria | 5 | 1:35,428,552 | 388,973 |
| Switzerland | 5 | 1:1,642,583 | 87,307 |
| Northern Ireland | 4 | 1:461,259 | 16,615 |
| Bahrain | 4 | 1:337,152 | 6,054 |
| Egypt | 4 | 1:22,983,938 | 62,368 |
| Mexico | 3 | 1:41,375,402 | 71,397 |
| Vietnam | 3 | 1:30,882,018 | 4,101 |
| Spain | 3 | 1:15,584,012 | 120,866 |
| Finland | 3 | 1:1,832,234 | 57,803 |
| Jersey | 3 | 1:33,067 | 4,675 |
| Peru | 3 | 1:10,594,708 | 45,902 |
| Austria | 2 | 1:4,257,718 | 99,224 |
| Mauritania | 2 | 1:2,047,432 | 30,537 |
| Belgium | 2 | 1:5,748,322 | 130,559 |
| Cambodia | 2 | 1:7,743,573 | 11,959 |
| Denmark | 2 | 1:2,822,358 | 76,882 |
| South Korea | 2 | 1:25,620,128 | 4,175 |
| Romania | 2 | 1:10,038,935 | 80,612 |
| Italy | 2 | 1:30,578,344 | 160,757 |
| Kenya | 2 | 1:23,089,950 | 83,168 |
| Turkey | 1 | 1:77,821,422 | 191,047 |
| Costa Rica | 1 | 1:4,780,069 | 13,345 |
| Colombia | 1 | 1:47,774,072 | 44,230 |
| Algeria | 1 | 1:38,631,551 | 130,422 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1 | 1:110,375 | 6,934 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 1:3,431,758 | 38,295 |
| Venezuela | 1 | 1:30,204,077 | 85,459 |
| Mali | 1 | 1:16,969,035 | 4,067 |
| Chile | 1 | 1:17,616,474 | 93,597 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 1 | 1:13,610 | 185 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 1:15,438,240 | 133,260 |
| Morocco | 1 | 1:34,476,099 | 111,471 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1:6,978,905 | 86,260 |
| Montserrat | 1 | 1:4,947 | 471 |
| Barbados | 1 | 1:287,448 | 2,772 |
| Monaco | 1 | 1:37,066 | 4,748 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 1:5,637,083 | 32,436 |
| Israel | 1 | 1:8,557,634 | 182,558 |
| Guyana | 1 | 1:762,221 | 14,420 |
| Poland | 1 | 1:38,008,749 | 231,653 |
| Greenland | 1 | 1:56,379 | 1,133 |
| Greece | 1 | 1:11,079,790 | 145,225 |
| Germany | 1 | 1:80,505,459 | 560,955 |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | 1:17,682,496 | 204,010 |
| East Timor | 1 | 1:1,215,928 | 507 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1:1,363,975 | 22,013 |
| Libya | 1 | 1:6,243,974 | 6,186 |
| Sudan | 1 | 1:37,510,195 | 14,259 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 | 1:99,171 | 2,137 |
| Czechia | 1 | 1:10,633,469 | 206,023 |
| Syria | 1 | 1:19,301,022 | 22,457 |
| Curaçao | 1 | 1:157,247 | 1,313 |
| Paraguay | 1 | 1:7,236,746 | 16,511 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 7 | 1:632,838 | 19,259 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1,896 | 1:12,856 | 1,942 |
| Scotland | 81 | 1:46,213 | 3,298 |
| Wales | 13 | 1:120,647 | 5,000 |
| Jersey | 1 | 1:51,882 | 3,898 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,629 | 1:30,828 | 3,723 |
How (7,724) may also be a first name.
How Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Hugh'; How, in South England. 'Howe, Hewe, propyr name, Hugo': Promptorium Parvulorum (a) Local, 'of the howes.' How, a hill, a mound; compare Silver How and Fox How in the Lake district of England.
'Lands in the Howes, which he had from his mother Alice del Howes' (ext. deed of grant by John de Levens), temp. Edward I: History Westm. and Cumb.
Roger del Howes, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.
Richard del Howes, Cambridgeshire, ibid.
Letitia atte How, 1313. Writs of Parliament.
John de la How, Norfolk: History of Norfolk.
Local. Matthew de Hou witnessed a charter by Eschina de Lundor to Kelso Abbey, c. 1190 (Kelso, 147). John Ho, probably an Englishman, was burgess of Aberdeen, 1273 (Fraser, p. 11), and Andrew Howe was witness at Ardler, 1522 (REA., I, p. 388). Letters were issued against John How for defrauding the king's customs, 1524 (Irvine, I, p. 35), George How is in Over Johnstone, 1654 (Kilbarchan), and a payment was made to William How, glover, 1735 (Guildry, p. 153).
(Scandinavian) 1 Dweller at a Hill, Hillock, or Tumulus [Middle English how(e; O.N. haug-r, (burial) mound] 2 Dweller in a Hollow or Dell [by confusion, ‘how(e’ eventually came to be applied in parts of the North to a hollow or dell at the foot of the how(e or hill; but sometimes ‘how,’ or ‘hou,’ seems to be for Old Norse hol = Old English hol, a hollow] Letitia atte How.—Parl. Writs, A.D. 1313. William del Howe.—Lanc. Fines, A.D. 1369.
Cp. Hough.
(Teutonic) a form of Hugh, q.v.
(English) Descendant of How, a variant of Hugh (spirit); dwellers on, or near, a projecting ridge of land, a promontory; one who came from Howe (hill), the name of places in Norfolk and Yorkshire.
In the South, a small round hill; in the North, a hollow place or plain. The medieval form is At How, generally synonymous with Hill. Anglo-Saxon hou-a mountain.
A high place, a hill; critically, a hill in a valley. De La Howe, "from the hill,"was originally the name of the family. They came to England with William the Conqueror. (See Athill.)
And Hoo (English), Hill, Deep or Low place, Meadow in a valley; also Haugh, i. e., Hillock, Flat ground by river side, Meadow in a valley.
How Demographics
How Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Religious Adherence
in Ireland
How Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name How Come From? nationality or country of origin
How (Hassaniya-Arabic: ﺣﻮ, Oriya: ହାଓ) is found most in Malaysia. It can appear in the variant forms:. For other possible spellings of this last name click here.
How Common Is The Last Name How? popularity and diffusion
How is the 25,147th most frequent family name at a global level It is held by around 1 in 339,777 people. This surname is predominantly found in Asia, where 68 percent of How reside; 52 percent reside in Southeast Asia and 45 percent reside in Malayo-Arabic Southeast Asia. It is also the 72,741st most widespread first name globally. It is borne by 7,724 people.
The last name is most frequently occurring in Malaysia, where it is borne by 9,266 people, or 1 in 3,183. In Malaysia How is most prevalent in: Selangor, where 34 percent reside, Johor, where 15 percent reside and Kuala Lumpur, where 10 percent reside. Excluding Malaysia it is found in 92 countries. It is also common in England, where 9 percent reside and Bangladesh, where 7 percent reside.
How Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The frequency of How has changed over time. In England the number of people carrying the How surname contracted 2 percent between 1881 and 2014; in The United States it contracted 17 percent between 1880 and 2014; in Scotland it contracted 11 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 262 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it grew 300 percent between 1901 and 2014.
How Last Name Statistics demography
The religious devotion of those bearing the last name is predominantly Anglican (50%) in Ireland.
In The United States How are 2.7% more likely to be registered Democrats than The US average, with 50.53% being registered with the party.
The amount How earn in different countries varies notably. In Norway they earn 5.91% less than the national average, earning 325,612 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 8.63% less than the national average, earning R 217,128 per year; in United States they earn 8.33% more than the national average, earning $46,742 USD per year and in Canada they earn 8.47% more than the national average, earning $53,891 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
| Surname | Similarity | Worldwide Incidence | Prevalency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chow | 86 | 255,686 | / |
| Howe | 86 | 108,953 | / |
| Howa | 86 | 6,353 | / |
| Khow | 86 | 643 | / |
| Houw | 86 | 265 | / |
| Howz | 86 | 10 | / |
| Hoew | 86 | 8 | / |
| Hoow | 86 | 7 | / |
| Hhow | 86 | 3 | / |
| Hoiw | 86 | 2 | / |
| Huow | 86 | 2 | / |
| Howf | 86 | 2 | / |
| Hjow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Howw | 86 | 1 | / |
| Howh | 86 | 1 | / |
| Hosw | 86 | 1 | / |
| Jhow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Ow | 80 | 7,308 | / |
| Chowa | 75 | 3,098 | / |
| Chowe | 75 | 2,320 | / |
| Khouw | 75 | 755 | / |
| Khowe | 75 | 80 | / |
| Houwe | 75 | 67 | / |
| Chuow | 75 | 48 | / |
| Chowh | 75 | 44 | / |
| Chouw | 75 | 9 | / |
| Chowz | 75 | 5 | / |
| Choww | 75 | 5 | / |
| Choow | 75 | 3 | / |
| Hoowe | 75 | 3 | / |
| Howsh | 75 | 2 | / |
| Hochw | 75 | 1 | / |
| Howch | 75 | 1 | / |
| Khoow | 75 | 1 | / |
| Hohwe | 75 | 1 | / |
| Hhowe | 75 | 0 | / |
| Howff | 75 | 0 | / |
| Hof | 67 | 13,158 | / |
| Haw | 67 | 8,491 | / |
| Owa | 67 | 8,315 | / |
| Hob | 67 | 2,541 | / |
| Hov | 67 | 2,185 | / |
| Owe | 67 | 2,145 | / |
| Chhowa | 67 | 360 | / |
| Owf | 67 | 311 | / |
| Ouw | 67 | 142 | / |
| Chohwe | 67 | 97 | / |
| Owh | 67 | 48 | / |
| Huw | 67 | 38 | / |
| Ahw | 67 | 33 | / |
| Ohw | 67 | 13 | / |
| Oew | 67 | 12 | / |
| Oiw | 67 | 7 | / |
| Uow | 67 | 7 | / |
| Oyw | 67 | 7 | / |
| Khouwe | 67 | 5 | / |
| Owt | 67 | 5 | / |
| Oow | 67 | 5 | / |
| Oww | 67 | 3 | / |
| Ovw | 67 | 3 | / |
| Ojw | 67 | 3 | / |
| Uhw | 67 | 2 | / |
| Howowa | 67 | 1 | / |
| Chowtt | 67 | 1 | / |
| Chouwe | 67 | 1 | / |
| Avhowa | 67 | 1 | / |
| Choowe | 67 | 1 | / |
How Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| How in the Hassaniya-Arabic language | ||
| ﺣﻮ | hw | - |
| How in the Oriya language | ||
| ହାଓ | ha'o | - |
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to How
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis