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Surname Etymology and Meaning of HOUSE

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Name meanings and etymologies are often disputed. The information here is compiled from freely available sources, and no claims whatsoever are made for accuracy, either historical or etymological.

1. English (southwestern): from Middle English hous ‘house’ (Old English hus). In the Middle Ages the majority of the population lived in cottages or huts rather than houses, and in most cases this name probably indicates someone who had some connection with the largest and most important building in a settlement, either a religious house or simply the local manor house. In some cases it may be a status name for a householder, someone who owned his own dwelling as opposed to being a tenant, but more often it is an occupational name for a servant who worked in such a house, in particular a steward who managed one.
2. English: respelling of Howes.
3. Translation of German Haus.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names (2003)