Find out how popular the last name Howard is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Howard.

Howard, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Howard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Howard in America

Howard is the 75th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Howard surname appeared 264,826 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 90 people would have the surname Howard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Howard to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Howard

The surname Howard is of English origin, derived from the Old Norse personal name Howarda, which means "high watchman" or "chief guardian." The name first appeared in England in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The name is believed to have been introduced to England by Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

The earliest known bearer of the name was William Howard, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166. The Howard family later became one of the most prominent noble families in England, with their ancestral home being Arundel Castle in Sussex.

One of the most famous Howards in history was Thomas Howard, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554). He was a prominent figure during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, serving as Lord Treasurer and Earl Marshal of England.

Another notable Howard was Catherine Howard (c. 1520-1542), who was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was executed for adultery after less than two years of marriage.

In the 17th century, John Howard (1726-1790) was a renowned English philanthropist and prison reformer. He dedicated his life to improving the conditions of prisons and advocating for the humane treatment of prisoners.

During the American Revolutionary War, John Eager Howard (1752-1827) was a prominent military officer who fought for the Continental Army. He later served as the fifth Governor of Maryland.

The surname Howard has also been associated with several notable writers and artists, including the poets Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-1547), and Edward Howard (1624-1700), as well as the artist Henry Howard (1769-1847), who was known for his paintings of military scenes.

Overall, the surname Howard has a rich history spanning centuries and is closely tied to England's nobility, military, and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Howard

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Howard.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Howard was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Howard has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Howard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Howard, please contact us.

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