This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Howden,' a market-town and parish in East Riding of Yorks, twenty miles from York.

Stephen de Houden, Yorkshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Johannes de Houden, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes de Howden, 1379: ibid. Guild of St. George, Norwich.

1608. Baptised — Jane, d. Rowland Howden: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1770. Married — James Lorimer and Jean Howdon: St. George, Hanover Square.

From the old barony of Hadden or Halden. Bernard, son of Brien, of an Anglo-Norman family, had a grant of the manor, of Hauden in Roxburghshire from William the Lion (Morton, p. 114). Ulkillus de Hauden witnessed a grant by Bernard filius Brien of a carucate of his land of Haudene to the Abbey of Kelso c. 1165—71 (Kelso, 214). Bernard de Hauden made a grant of 'quatuor bollis frumenti' out of Hauden to the Hospital of Soltre in the reign of Alexander II. His gift was witnessed by Hugh de Hauden and William de Hauden (Soltre, p. 10). Bernard de Hauden witnessed a charter by Walter filius David filius Tructi in favor of Kelso Abbey, c. 1230 (Kelso, 269). Reginald de Havden witnessed grant of church of Lympetlaw to Soltre, c. 1221—31 (Soltre, p. 25), and Elmer de Hauden witnessed a charter by Richard Germyn, dominus de Lympatlaw, in favor of the same Hospital (ibid., p. 26). Complaint was made against Aymer, son and heir of Bernard de Haudene of the kingdom of Scotland, in 1278, and as Eymer or Aylmer de Haudene of the county of Edneburk he rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 32,201). Symon de Holden and Bernard de Hauden, both of Roxberghshire, also rendered homage (ibid., p. 199,200). William Hauldyn was bailie in Lanark, 1328 (ER., I, p. 86), and Brouchtoun in Peeblesshire belonged to Edward de Haudene in 1350 (Stodart, II, p. 323; RMS., I, App. II, 771). Johannes de Hawdene, son and heir of William de Hawdene, had a charter of the lands of Hawdene and Yethame in 1407 (RMS., I, 912), and in 1523—24 the same lands were confirmed to William Haldane of that Ilk (ibid., II, 247). Joannes Haddane, heir of William Haddane de eodem, was retoured heir in half the lands of the barony of Bruchtoun in 1550 (Retours, Peebles, 5), and in 1624 John Halden of Halden was served heir to his father George Halden de eodem in the lands and barony of Halden (Retours, Roxburgh, 124). Haddon (of that IIk) 1618, Hadden (of that Ilk) 1627, Hauldene 1633. compare Haldane.

(Teutonic) belonging to Howden = 1 the How or Hough VALLEY (i.e. the depression at the foot of the how or hough) [v. How and Hough, and + Old English denu, a valley] Cp. Howgill.

2 a weak form of Holden, q.v.: cp. the Dialectal pron. of ‘Oldham’ as Owdham.

3 the House or Temple Valley [v. under Hove, and + Old English denu, a valley] The forms Houden and Howden occur in the 14th cent. Yorks Poll-Tax; but How­den, the market-town in the English Riding, was anciently Hovendene, in Domesday Book Hovedene. Note the added element to the Yorks physical names Howden Hill, Howden Edge, Howden Clough. The addition to the Northumberland Howden-Pans is due to salt-manufacture.

A large parish in Yorkshire, and a township in Northumberland.

Morel de Hodene, Norm. 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Stephen de Hovetone, Engl. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum).