HOWMAN

The surname Howman is of distinctly English origin, deriving from the Old English word hoh meaning a projecting ridge of land or hill spur, combined with mann, meaning man. Consequently the literal sense of the name is “man of the hill” or “dweller near a ridge.”

Early documentary evidence places the name in the south‑east of England, particularly in Suffolk and neighbouring counties. A record from the Hundred Rolls of 1277 names Humfrey Huueman, an early form of the surname, while in 1279 a John Human is listed in Cambridgeshire. In 1327 a William Howeman appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex, indicating that the name had become established enough to appear in tax documents.

The first known spelling of the family name is found in a document from circa 1248 as William Hiweman, held in the Select Documents of the English lands of Bec, Wiltshire, during the reign of King Henry it. This observation confirms that the name was in use by the mid‑13th century and had already begun to take on a hereditary character.

Church records from the late sixteenth century also reference members of the Howman family. In 1573 one Sarah Howman was christened at Christ Church, Greyfriars, London; in 1577 a Margarett Howman married John Condrum at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London; and in 1588 a George Howman was christened at St. Margaret's, Westminster. These entries reinforce the name’s presence across London’s ecclesiastical registers during that period.

There are several recognised variant spellings of the surname, including Hughman, Uman, Human, Howeman, Howmance and Howmane. The diversity of spellings reflects the lack of standardised spelling in early modern England and the influence of local dialects on the transcription of names. The variant Hughman could plausibly be linked to a patronymic derivation, meaning “servant of Hugh,” with Hugh originating from a Germanic name containing the element hug, meaning heart, mind or spirit, coupled with man, servant. This alternative viewpoint is supported by the observation that in some recorded instances the name appears without the hill‑top element.

Alternative explanations recognise that Howman may be a variant of the name Holman, which similarly derives from Old English land descriptors. Nonetheless, statistical data from the 1881 Census shows the highest concentrations of the surname in Norfolk and Suffolk, suggesting a strong regional association with the East Anglian landscape and its numerous hill spurs.

Despite its limited numbers, the surname retains a unique character, often linked to families that historically held land or were associated with local gentry in Suffolk. Its presence today extends beyond the United Kingdom, being found in the United States and Australia, a spread that correlates with wider patterns of British emigration during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Typical given names associated with the Howman surname

Male

• Andrew
• Anthony
• Colin
• David
• John
• Mark
• Matthew
• Michael
• Philip
• Richard
• Robert
• Stephen

Female

• Carol
• Claire
• Clare
• Emily
• Julie
• Kathleen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Rebecca
• Sara
• Sarah
• Susan
• Yvonne

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Howman in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: Occupational name

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Howman

• Karl Howman - Actor

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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