Howe (surname)

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Howe is an English surname with Scandinavian roots. Howe is an Old Norse surname derived from haugr, meaning in the Viking era a hill, knoll, or burial mound and may refer to a tumulus, or barrow. [1] However when derived from Old English : hol, it can refer to a hollow or dell. [2] Historically the surname was most commonly found in the Northeast of England and the Orkney and Shetland islands near the Norwegian coastline.

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Maeshowe (or Maes Howe; Old Norse : Orkahaugr) is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated in Scotland's Orkney Islands. It was probably built around 2800 BC. Similarly Midhowe is located on the Orkney Islands, dated to 3500 BC. Duggleby Howe (also known as Howe Hill, Duggleby) is one of the largest round barrows in Britain, located in the county of North Yorkshire (historically the East Riding of Yorkshire). Yorkshire experienced several distinct Viking incursions [3] , with residents having an ancestry with their roots in the North Sea.

Notable people with the surname include:

A–H

I–Z

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. Kenneth Cameron (1963), English Place-names, p. 117. Taylor & Francis
  2. Eric Partridge (1977), Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, p. 1370. Routledge. ISBN   0203421140
  3. "Seal Howe". themodernantiquarian.com. The Modern Antiquarian. 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.