Howard
Boy nameHoward has been given to 348,342 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1921.
Meaning & origin /ˈhaʊɚd/
Medieval personal name from Middle English Howard, Howarde, from Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”). In some cases a variant of Heward, from Old French Huard.
Origin: Germanic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
348,342
Peak year
1921 (7,749 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +16%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Rank through the decades
Howard's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Boys rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #35 |
| 1925 | #26 |
| 1950 | #63 |
| 1975 | #195 |
| 2000 | #664 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Famous people named Howard
H. P. Lovecraft
American writer and editor (1890–1937)
Howard Carter
British egyptologist (1874–1939)
Howard Hughes
American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer (1905–1976)
Anne Rice
American author (1941–2021)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Howard.
FAQ
How popular is the name Howard?
Howard has been given to 348,342 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Howard peak?
Howard peaked in 1921, when 7,749 babies were given the name.
Is Howard a girl or boy name?
Howard is primarily a boy name (100% of babies named Howard are boys).
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