Given name & surname · also Old English, Scandinavian
Howard
“army guardian”·“the guardian of the home”
Howard is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “army guardian” (Scandinavian and Old English) and “the guardian of the home” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “army guardian” (Scandinavian and Old English) and “the guardian of the home” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Scandinavian and Old English naming traditions.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Howard through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 348,342
- 346,666 boys · 1,676 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 7,749 babies
- 2025
- 226
- #1,004 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +3%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 226 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,004 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 3.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,713 in 1921. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 134,907 as a first name in 2020; 253,434 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Howard’s family of names
In English usage, Howard is a short form of Howie. Howard has a feminine form in Howardena. Howard has a related form in Howea.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Howard has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Howard
- H. P. LovecraftAmerican writer and editor (1890–1937)
- Howard CarterBritish egyptologist (1874–1939)
- Howard HughesAmerican aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer (1905–1976)
- Anne RiceAmerican author (1941–2021)
- Howard FloreyAustralian pathologist (1898-1968)
- Ward CunninghamAmerican computer programmerborn 1949
- Anton LaVeyfounder of the Church of Satan; author of the Satanic Bible (1930-1997)
- Howard HawksAmerican film director, producer and screenwriter (1896–1977)
- Howard ZinnAmerican historian, playwright, and socialist thinker (1922–2010)
Characters named Howard: Howard Wolowitz (fictional character on the television series The Big Bang Theory), Howard Stark (Marvel Comics), Howard Hamlin (Better Call Saul).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Howard, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hobart
“having a shining intellect”
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Hilton
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85% boys · 15% girls
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