Howard
An English surname of contested origin, either Germanic “high guardian” or Norse “sheep herder.”
1921peak year
No. 24best rank (1919)
348,342babies since 1880
—outside top 1000 in 2025
Popularity, 1880–2025
Howard appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1958. Its biggest year was 1921, when 7,713 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 27 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1919, at No. 24. All told, 348,342 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Explore Howard interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,349 | No. 37 |
| 1890s | 5,949 | No. 33 |
| 1900s | 8,014 | No. 26 |
| 1910s | 46,596 | No. 24 |
| 1920s | 70,348 | No. 24 |
| 1930s | 51,495 | No. 31 |
| 1940s | 53,530 | No. 45 |
| 1950s | 47,852 | No. 63 |
| 1960s | 28,703 | No. 108 |
| 1970s | 12,980 | No. 156 |
| 1980s | 7,052 | No. 242 |
| 1990s | 3,915 | No. 403 |
| 2000s | 2,477 | No. 643 |
| 2010s | 2,111 | No. 894 |
| 2020s | 1,295 | No. 937 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.