Hows Surname: Origin, Meaning & Coat of Arms

Behind the Hows surname stands House, an English name that clerks and families wrote in more than one way. Name scholars give the meaning as “Of the house”.

Hows coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Hows, so the heraldry linked to House is a starting point, not an automatic right.

A variant of House

Before spelling was fixed, House was also written Hows. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Other spellings include Howse.

For the full story, order the Hows surname pack.