Howe Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Howe last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Howe last name
Meaning of the Howe last name: dweller by a mound. Howe is an English surname for someone who lived by a hill or burial mound, from Old Norse haugr, common in northern and eastern England where Scandinavian settlement was heavy. In some families the last name may instead come from Hugh. A curious detail of this surname origin: the brothers Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe led British forces early in the American War of Independence.
Arms associated with the Howe name
Animals on English shields stood for the qualities admired in them, such as the lion for courage, and that heraldic language shapes coats of arms associated with the Howe surname.
Get your full Howe family history
This is only a glimpse of the Howe story. The full Howe history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Howe coat of arms. Get the full Howe report.
Howe name FAQ
What does the Howe name mean?
Dweller by a mound. Common variants include How, Howes.
Where does the Howe surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Howe coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Howe coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).