Meaning & Origin
A surname originating as a patronymic.
Howard is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, most likely derived from Old Norse elements meaning roughly "high guardian." It developed as a prominent English aristocratic surname before entering use as a given name.
Howard ranked in the top 50 U.S. boys' names from the 1880s through the 1960s. Notable bearers include Howard Hughes, the eccentric aviation tycoon, and Howard Stern, giving the name a broad cultural range — from old-money reserved to larger-than-life.