Howard
Medieval personal name from Middle English Howard, Howarde, from Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”).
Every Howard since 1880 — 348,342 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Howard
Howard is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,004 in 2025 with 226 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 348,342 American babies have been named Howard. Its peak came in 1921, when 7,749 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Howard stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Howard year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 226 | #1,004 |
| 2024 | — | — | 207 | #1,059 |
| 2023 | — | — | 219 | #1,005 |
| 2022 | — | — | 208 | #1,057 |
| 2021 | — | — | 241 | #939 |
| 2020 | — | — | 194 | #1,044 |
| 2019 | — | — | 216 | #984 |
| 2018 | — | — | 213 | #976 |
| 2017 | — | — | 203 | #999 |
| 2016 | — | — | 241 | #901 |
| 2015 | — | — | 194 | #1,038 |
| 2014 | — | — | 211 | #987 |
| 2013 | — | — | 194 | #1,009 |
| 2012 | — | — | 203 | #986 |
| 2011 | — | — | 207 | #959 |
| 2010 | — | — | 229 | #895 |
| 2009 | — | — | 216 | #942 |
| 2008 | — | — | 229 | #907 |
| 2007 | — | — | 241 | #862 |
| 2006 | — | — | 243 | #837 |
| 2005 | — | — | 229 | #823 |
| 2004 | — | — | 235 | #775 |
| 2003 | — | — | 258 | #718 |
| 2002 | — | — | 266 | #685 |
| 2001 | — | — | 290 | #644 |
| 2000 | — | — | 270 | #664 |
| 1995 | — | — | 358 | #532 |
| 1990 | — | — | 572 | #403 |
| 1985 | 6 | #9,736 | 677 | #302 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6,459 | 925 | #242 |
| 1975 | 15 | #4,222 | 1,166 | #195 |
| 1970 | 18 | #3,480 | 1,996 | #156 |
| 1965 | 15 | #3,311 | 2,678 | #122 |
| 1960 | 14 | #3,420 | 3,827 | #108 |
| 1955 | 22 | #2,363 | 4,746 | #83 |
| 1950 | 12 | #3,130 | 5,164 | #63 |
| 1945 | 23 | #1,770 | 4,768 | #54 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,825 | 4,824 | #45 |
| 1935 | 19 | #1,809 | 4,970 | #39 |
| 1930 | 54 | #1,005 | 6,341 | #31 |
| 1925 | 48 | #1,111 | 7,173 | #26 |
| 1920 | 44 | #1,146 | 7,466 | #24 |
| 1915 | 27 | #1,381 | 6,103 | #25 |
| 1910 | — | — | 1,309 | #27 |
| 1905 | 11 | #1,207 | 735 | #35 |
| 1900 | 5 | #2,056 | 779 | #35 |
| 1895 | — | — | 641 | #33 |
| 1890 | 8 | #1,046 | 501 | #40 |
| 1885 | — | — | 438 | #41 |
| 1880 | — | — | 357 | #44 |
Famous people named Howard
- Howard Hughes Businessperson · 1905–1976
- Howard Carter Archaeologist · 1874–1939
- Howard Hawks Film director · 1896–1977
- Howard Gardner Psychologist · b. 1943
- Howard H. Aiken Engineer · 1900–1973
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Howard mean?
Medieval personal name from Middle English Howard, Howarde, from Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”).
How popular is the name Howard in 2025?
Howard ranked #1,004 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 226 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Howard?
348,342 babies have been named Howard in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Howard most popular?
Howard peaked in 1921, when 7,749 newborns received the name.
Is Howard a boy or girl name?
Howard is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Howard rising or falling?
Howard is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Howard?
Well-known people named Howard include Howard Hughes (businessperson), Howard Carter (archaeologist), Howard Hawks (film director).