2000
#36,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 571
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Howitt
A locational surname originating from places named Howitt in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 697 Americans carry the last name Howitt. That puts it at #39,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 491,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Howitt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Howitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
697
1 in 491,757
Census rank
#39,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
608
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 608 bearers of the surname Howitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Howitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Howitt
The surname HOWITT is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name "How" or "Howe," which was a diminutive form of the name "Hugh." The name dates back to the 12th century and was particularly prevalent in the Midlands region of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HOWITT can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327, where a Robert Howitt is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Staffordshire in 1275, referring to a Richard Howyt.
The HOWITT surname has its roots in various place names across England, such as Howitt in Derbyshire and Howitt Hill in Nottinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning "heel" or "ridge," and "witu" meaning "wood" or "forest."
In the 16th century, the HOWITT surname appeared in various historical records, including the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a William Howitt was recorded in 1581.
Notable individuals with the surname HOWITT throughout history include:
1. William Howitt (1792-1879), an English author, poet, and historian known for his works on rural life and folklore.
2. Mary Howitt (1799-1888), an English author and poet, and the wife of William Howitt. She was known for her poetry and children's literature.
3. Samuel Howitt (1765-1822), an English artist and engraver, renowned for his landscapes and illustrations of scientific subjects.
4. Henry Howitt (1830-1892), an English geologist and explorer, who made significant contributions to the study of Australian geology and geography.
5. Godfrey Howitt (1800-1873), an English missionary and author, who spent several years working in Australia and wrote about his experiences with the indigenous population.
The HOWITT surname has been carried by families across various regions of England, with concentrations in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, such as Howyt and Howett, its essential form and meaning have remained consistent throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Howitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Howitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Howitt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Howitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 531
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 31
- Two or more races3.1% · 19
- Black or African American3.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Howitt
Howitt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#41,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 523
-48 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 4,719 places
2020
#39,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
+85 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 2,476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,860 | 571 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,579 | 523 | 0.18 | -48 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 4,719 places |
| 2020 | #39,103 | 608 | 0.20 | +85 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 2,476 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Howitt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,579 | #39,103 | 6.0% |
| Count | 523 | 608 | 16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.20 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Howitt bearers went from 523 to 608 (+16.3% change). The surname moved up 2,476 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,579 to #39,103.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Howitt
FAQ
Howitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Howitt?
Name Census estimates that about 697 living Americans carry the surname Howitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 491,757 residents.
How common is Howitt?
Howitt ranks #39,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 608 people with the surname Howitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (697), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Howitt.
Has Howitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Howitt went from 523 recorded bearers to 608. That is an increase of 85 (+16.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #41,579 to #39,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Howitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Howitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Howitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (531 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Howitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Howitt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Howitt mean?
A locational surname originating from places named Howitt in England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Howitt (0.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Howitt?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Howitt at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.