Howard

Howard - A very unique male name

Howard appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #27. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Howard and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Howard? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Howard. The baby boy name Howard was given to 165 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1032 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 8,887 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Howard peaked in popularity 107 years ago in 1919 on position 24.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Howard, 1-5?

Howard is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Howard is currently topping the baby name charts in Wisconsin at position #500 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,856.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Howard is where you live.

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Howard origin and meaning

English — transferred surname

Uncertain — Howard is a transferred surname whose origin is genuinely disputed: candidates include 'hog-ward', 'high guardian' (hēah + weard) and a Germanic name Hugihard

Howard is the surname of one of England's great aristocratic families, the Howard dukes of Norfolk, and became a boy's name in their shadow. It peaked in 1921 and, after a long fall, is rising slightly again.

Origin uncertain

Howard is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Howard, pop culture references for the name Howard and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Howard

We've found the following names that sound similar to Howard, sorted by popularity.

Hayward / Hardy / Heyward / Harout / Hart / Horatio / Harut / Hardie / Haruto / Hriday /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Howard

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Howard a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Howard?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HOW-urd · /ˈhaʊərd/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Howie — The pet form, occasionally used as a full name.

Nicknames: HowieWard

Famous bearers

• Howard Stern — American radio and television personality (b. 1954) Contemporary
• Howard Hughes — American aviation and film magnate (1905–1976) Historical

Style

SurnameClassic

Why parents choose it

Howard is a sturdy, slightly formal grandparent name with Howie as a friendly release valve. Its numbers are small but turning up.

Worth knowing

• It reads as a grandpa name, and its meaning is honestly unresolvable — don't let a website sell you one tidy gloss.
• Howard the Duck and Howard Wolowitz are odd pop-culture shadows.