Howard
Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for it except that it is the name of several noble families".
Meaning & Origin of Howard
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for it except that it is the name of several noble families".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Howard
Howard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 357 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 7,713 Howards were born — ranking #27 that year. As of 2026, Howard ranks #1,046 for baby boys with 212 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 347K Howards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Howard
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Howard Allen (1949–2020), American serial killer
- Howard Duane Allman (1946–1971), American guitar virtuoso
- Howard Anderson (disambiguation) , name of several people
- Howard Andrew (1934–2021), American poker player
- Howard Ashman (1950–1991), American playwright, lyricist and stage director
- Howard Baker (disambiguation) , name of several people
- Howard Berman (born 1941), American attorney and politician
- Howard Bragman (1956–2023), American crisis manager and publicist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Howard
Phonetically similar names — useful when Howard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Howard
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About the name Howard
Howard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 347K births in the dataset. Howard's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #24. Use the chart and map above to compare Howard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.