Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1957

Howie

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Howard Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,770 Trend ↑ Rising 62%

A diminutive of the male given name Howard.

Rank 2025
#4,770
among boys · ↑364 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Howie
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1957
33 babies
All-time total
788
#5,954 all-time among boys
First recorded
1943
in Social Security records

Howie popularity over time

788 babies have been named Howie since 1943, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1957Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s 41 4 – #2,473
1950s 170 17 +315% #1,376
1960s 160 16 -6% #1,449
1970s 46 5 -71% #2,405
1980s 23 2 -50% #5,385
1990s 44 4 +91% #4,433
2000s 91 9 +107% #5,485
2010s 110 11 +21% #5,765
2020s (to 2025) 103 17 +56% #4,770

Where Howie is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 23 0.01 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 26 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Howie

Howie is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,770 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1943, 788 American babies have been named Howie. Its peak came in 1957, when 33 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Howie stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Howie?

The median living Howie is about 37 years old; half are between 12 and 64. An estimated 700 people named Howie are alive in the United States today.

median 37 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Howie year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 21 #4,770
2024 19 #5,134
2023 18 #5,325
2022 19 #5,102
2021 14 #6,151
2020 12 #6,769
2019 15 #5,923
2018 10 #7,809
2017 14 #6,145
2016 11 #7,323
2015 9 #8,288
2014 10 #7,767
2013 15 #5,765
2012 12 #6,771
2011 5 #13,022
2010 9 #8,377
2009 9 #8,558
2008 15 #5,880
2007 16 #5,517
2006 8 #9,024
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 8 #8,128
2002 10 #6,722
2001 13 #5,485
2000 12 #5,701
1995 8 #6,613
1990 6 #7,512
1985 7 #5,385
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 10 #3,153
1965 17 #1,958
1960 31 #1,449
1955 16 #1,999
1950 6 #3,480
1945 7 #2,858
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Howie

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Howie Mandel Howie Mandel Canadian actor and comedian (born 1955) Contemporary
  2. 2 Howie Dorough Howie Dorough American singer, member of the Backstreet Boys (born 1973) Contemporary
  3. 3 Howie Morenz Howie Morenz Canadian ice hockey player (1902–1937) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Howie, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Howie?

The median living Howie is about 37 years old. Half of all living Howies are between 12 and 64 years old.

How many people named Howie are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Howie are alive in the United States, based on 788 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Howie mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Howard.

How popular is the name Howie in 2025?

Howie ranked #4,770 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Howie?

788 babies have been named Howie in the United States since 1943, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Howie most popular?

Howie peaked in 1957, when 33 newborns received the name.

Is Howie a boy or girl name?

Howie is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Howie rising or falling?

Howie is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Howie become more popular?

Howie is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Howie in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Howie?

Well-known people named Howie include Howie Mandel (comedian), Howie Dorough (singer), Howie Morenz (hockey player).

Names like Howie

Names that sound and feel close to Howie: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Howie with similar names → More names starting with H →