This interesting surname with variant spellings Human, Hughman, Howman, Uman, etc. is either a topographical name for someone dwelling by a hillspur or hill, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century "hoh" meaning "projecting ridge of land" plus the Old English "mann" "man". It may also be an occupational name for a servant, hence servant of Hugh, deriving from Hu(gh)e, a short form of any of the various Germanic compound names with the first element "hug" meaning "heart, mind or spirit", plus the Old High German "man" "servant". The surname dates back to the mid 13th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one Humfrey Huueman (1277) "The Hundred Rolls of Suffolk", John Human (1279) "The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire", and William Howeman (1327) "The Subsidy Rolls of Essex". Church recordings include one Sarah, daughter of John Howman who was christened on March 5th 1573, at Christ Church, Greyfriars, London, Margarett Howman married John Condrum on November 24th 1577, at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, and George Howman was christened on October 13th 1588, at St. Margarett's, Westminster. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Hiweman, which was dated circa 1248, "Select Documents of the English lands of Bec, Wiltshire, during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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