Howard
Howard was the 1004th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,713). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Howard in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning high guardian (Old Norse, probable) · Old Norse, English
Say it HOW-erd /ˈhaʊɚd/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,004 boys, up 40 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 226boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19217,713 babies
- Total since 1880
- 348,342babies recorded
What does the name Howard mean?
Howard is a medieval personal name and surname. Wiktionary derives it from Old Norse Hávarðr, made of hár 'high' and varðr 'guardian', and notes that it can also come from Old French Huard. Other explanations, such as 'hog warden' or a form of Hereward, appear in older books and are not well supported. The Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk, made the surname prominent; it became a common American first name in the late 19th century.
hár (Old Norse, “high”)varðr (Old Norse, “guardian”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several origins are proposed.
Other explanations you may read: 'hog warden'.
Related names: Howie, Haward.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Howard', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Howard
The usual nicknames for Howard are Howie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howie | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Howards go by each one.
Howard popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,676 since 1887.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,004 | 226 |
| 2020 | #1,044 | 194 |
| 2010 | #895 | 229 |
| 2000 | #664 | 270 |
| 1990 | #403 | 572 |
| 1980 | #242 | 925 |
| 1970 | #156 | 1,996 |
| 1960 | #108 | 3,827 |
| 1950 | #63 | 5,164 |
| 1940 | #45 | 4,824 |
| 1930 | #31 | 6,341 |
| 1920 | #24 | 7,466 |
| 1910 | #27 | 1,309 |
| 1900 | #35 | 779 |
| 1890 | #40 | 501 |
| 1880 | #44 | 357 |
How popular is Howard, counting every spelling?
Howard has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #965 for boys in 2025, against #1,004 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Howard?
226 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Howard (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Howard born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 37 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Howard.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Howard?
About 111,500 people born in the US named Howard are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 57 and 77. That makes Howard a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Howard by state
How common Howard was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.8×), Wisconsin (3.0×), Missouri (2.0×), Utah (1.9×), Michigan (1.6×). In 24 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Howard: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Howard, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Howard · Sibling names for Howard
Questions about the name Howard
What does Howard mean?
Howard is usually explained as “high guardian (Old Norse, probable)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Howard?
Howard was the 1004th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,713). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Howard in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Howard a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Howard in the US.
Where is Howard most popular?
In 2021–2025, Howard was most common in Minnesota (0.49 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Missouri.