Howard
- Last seen for girls in 1987 at #9,825
- #1,002 for boys in 2025, 226 births
- Given to boys 99.5% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1920 · 7,466 births
- Debut · boys
- 357 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 79 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 346,666since 1880
Howard over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,002 | 226 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,057 | 207 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,003 | 219 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,057 | 208 | |
| 2021 | — | #937 | 241 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,044 | 194 | |
| 2019 | — | #984 | 216 | |
| 2018 | — | #975 | 213 | |
| 2017 | — | #996 | 203 | |
| 2016 | — | #901 | 241 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,038 | 194 | |
| 2014 | — | #986 | 211 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,008 | 194 | |
| 2012 | — | #983 | 203 | |
| 2011 | — | #957 | 207 | |
| 2010 | — | #894 | 229 | |
| 2009 | — | #942 | 216 | |
| 2008 | — | #906 | 229 | |
| 2007 | — | #861 | 241 | |
| 2006 | — | #834 | 243 | |
| 2005 | — | #822 | 229 | |
| 2004 | — | #774 | 235 | |
| 2003 | — | #718 | 258 | |
| 2002 | — | #684 | 266 | |
| 2001 | — | #643 | 290 | |
| 2000 | — | #664 | 270 | |
| 1999 | — | #637 | 277 | |
| 1998 | — | #586 | 330 | |
| 1997 | — | #572 | 324 | |
| 1996 | — | #589 | 305 | |
| 1995 | — | #532 | 358 | |
| 1994 | — | #523 | 374 | |
| 1993 | — | #499 | 416 | |
| 1992 | — | #466 | 464 | |
| 1991 | — | #444 | 495 | |
| 1990 | — | #403 | 572 | |
| 1989 | — | #392 | 559 | |
| 1988 | — | #344 | 614 | |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | #330 | 626 |
| 1986 | #9,545 | 6 | #331 | 600 |
| 1985 | #9,307 | 6 | #301 | 677 |
| 1984 | #6,810 | 9 | #298 | 674 |
| 1983 | — | #282 | 727 | |
| 1982 | #5,209 | 13 | #268 | 795 |
| 1981 | #9,110 | 6 | #255 | 855 |
| 1980 | #6,319 | 10 | #242 | 925 |
| 1979 | #8,061 | 7 | #238 | 926 |
| 1978 | #6,948 | 8 | #222 | 956 |
| 1977 | #4,942 | 13 | #216 | 1,017 |
| 1976 | #4,905 | 12 | #208 | 1,032 |
| 1975 | #4,141 | 15 | #195 | 1,166 |
| 1974 | #6,258 | 8 | #186 | 1,208 |
| 1973 | #3,635 | 17 | #174 | 1,349 |
| 1972 | #4,091 | 14 | #168 | 1,493 |
| 1971 | #5,136 | 10 | #156 | 1,837 |
| 1970 | #3,435 | 18 | #156 | 1,996 |
| 1969 | #3,619 | 15 | #142 | 2,146 |
| 1968 | #3,456 | 15 | #133 | 2,156 |
| 1967 | #3,845 | 12 | #131 | 2,284 |
| 1966 | #3,558 | 13 | #120 | 2,546 |
| 1965 | #3,264 | 15 | #122 | 2,678 |
| 1964 | #4,096 | 11 | #116 | 3,059 |
| 1963 | #3,635 | 13 | #114 | 3,160 |
| 1962 | #3,782 | 12 | #114 | 3,277 |
| 1961 | #2,752 | 20 | #109 | 3,570 |
| 1960 | #3,357 | 14 | #108 | 3,827 |
| 1959 | #3,619 | 12 | #104 | 3,987 |
| 1958 | #3,085 | 15 | #95 | 4,364 |
| 1957 | #3,033 | 15 | #89 | 4,614 |
| 1956 | #2,826 | 17 | #84 | 4,707 |
| 1955 | #2,341 | 22 | #83 | 4,746 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #80 | 4,933 |
| 1953 | #2,173 | 23 | #77 | 4,985 |
| 1952 | #3,040 | 13 | #73 | 5,244 |
| 1951 | #3,284 | 11 | #74 | 5,108 |
| 1950 | #3,052 | 12 | #63 | 5,164 |
| 1949 | #3,393 | 10 | #63 | 5,284 |
| 1948 | #3,593 | 9 | #63 | 5,497 |
| 1947 | #2,146 | 21 | #62 | 6,061 |
| 1946 | #3,665 | 8 | #55 | 5,694 |
| 1945 | #1,743 | 23 | #54 | 4,768 |
| 1944 | #2,199 | 16 | #53 | 5,025 |
| 1943 | #1,900 | 21 | #48 | 5,739 |
| 1942 | #1,917 | 20 | #49 | 5,571 |
| 1941 | #2,272 | 14 | #47 | 5,067 |
| 1940 | #2,737 | 10 | #45 | 4,824 |
| 1939 | #1,327 | 31 | #47 | 4,613 |
| 1938 | #2,021 | 16 | #42 | 5,018 |
| 1937 | #1,630 | 22 | #42 | 4,700 |
| 1936 | #1,296 | 31 | #40 | 4,874 |
| 1935 | #1,779 | 19 | #39 | 4,970 |
| 1934 | #1,603 | 22 | #37 | 5,068 |
| 1933 | #1,262 | 32 | #36 | 4,995 |
| 1932 | #1,268 | 33 | #36 | 5,292 |
| 1931 | #1,258 | 33 | #34 | 5,624 |
| 1930 | #1,002 | 54 | #31 | 6,341 |
| 1929 | #1,078 | 46 | #31 | 6,010 |
| 1928 | #994 | 56 | #31 | 6,496 |
| 1927 | #1,194 | 42 | #28 | 6,831 |
| 1926 | #1,054 | 50 | #27 | 6,836 |
| 1925 | #1,101 | 48 | #26 | 7,173 |
| 1924 | #1,151 | 46 | #26 | 7,371 |
| 1923 | #1,305 | 36 | #26 | 7,156 |
| 1922 | #1,207 | 41 | #26 | 7,296 |
| 1921 | #1,298 | 36 | #27 | 7,713 |
| 1920 | #1,132 | 44 | #24 | 7,466 |
| 1919 | #1,481 | 28 | #24 | 6,843 |
| 1918 | #1,214 | 38 | #26 | 6,928 |
| 1917 | #1,241 | 34 | #26 | 6,410 |
| 1916 | #1,332 | 30 | #25 | 6,171 |
| 1915 | #1,367 | 27 | #25 | 6,103 |
| 1914 | #1,228 | 25 | #26 | 4,490 |
| 1913 | #1,274 | 20 | #26 | 3,663 |
| 1912 | #1,218 | 19 | #25 | 3,212 |
| 1911 | #2,191 | 6 | #28 | 1,467 |
| 1910 | — | #27 | 1,309 | |
| 1909 | #1,471 | 9 | #26 | 1,166 |
| 1908 | #2,101 | 5 | #28 | 1,078 |
| 1907 | — | #33 | 875 | |
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | #32 | 803 |
| 1905 | #1,162 | 11 | #35 | 735 |
| 1904 | #1,659 | 6 | #35 | 726 |
| 1903 | — | #37 | 636 | |
| 1902 | — | #35 | 632 | |
| 1901 | #1,679 | 5 | #34 | 584 |
| 1900 | #1,932 | 5 | #35 | 779 |
| 1899 | #1,596 | 5 | #34 | 589 |
| 1898 | #1,502 | 6 | #35 | 706 |
| 1897 | — | #33 | 634 | |
| 1896 | — | #33 | 677 | |
| 1895 | — | #33 | 641 | |
| 1894 | — | #33 | 612 | |
| 1893 | — | #35 | 556 | |
| 1892 | — | #39 | 548 | |
| 1891 | #1,332 | 5 | #40 | 485 |
| 1890 | #1,006 | 8 | #40 | 501 |
| 1889 | — | #38 | 503 | |
| 1888 | #959 | 8 | #40 | 513 |
| 1887 | #1,147 | 5 | #42 | 429 |
| 1886 | — | #37 | 467 | |
| 1885 | — | #41 | 438 | |
| 1884 | — | #44 | 432 | |
| 1883 | — | #39 | 429 | |
| 1882 | — | #42 | 422 | |
| 1881 | — | #41 | 359 | |
| 1880 | — | #44 | 357 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Howard was already there! It came in at #44, and was given to 357 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1999–2025, when fewer than 300 boys a year got the name.
Where Howard is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Wisconsin#484 · 1 in 2,343
- Minnesota#511 · 1 in 2,450
- Iowa#571 · 1 in 2,766
- Pennsylvania#662 · 1 in 4,020
- Washington#684 · 1 in 3,644
Best ever in a state: #8 in Wyoming, 1912.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | #484 | 10 | 1 in 2,343 |
| Minnesota | #511 | 10 | 1 in 2,450 |
| Iowa | #571 | 5 | 1 in 2,766 |
| Pennsylvania | #662 | 13 | 1 in 4,020 |
| Washington | #684 | 9 | 1 in 3,644 |
| Utah | #703 | 5 | 1 in 3,933 |
| Missouri | #709 | 7 | 1 in 3,973 |
| Colorado | #756 | 6 | 1 in 4,475 |
| Tennessee | #777 | 8 | 1 in 4,596 |
| Arizona | #844 | 6 | 1 in 5,454 |
| Indiana | #844 | 6 | 1 in 5,277 |
| Ohio | #855 | 9 | 1 in 5,837 |
| Virginia | #875 | 7 | 1 in 5,322 |
| Georgia | #990 | 8 | 1 in 6,278 |
| Michigan | #999 | 6 | 1 in 6,699 |
| California | #1,085 | 19 | 1 in 9,235 |
| North Carolina | #1,144 | 6 | 1 in 8,578 |
| Florida | #1,353 | 8 | 1 in 11,942 |
| Texas | #1,483 | 12 | 1 in 14,588 |
| New York | #1,760 | 5 | 1 in 16,885 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Howard
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 42 spots since 2020 (#1,044 → #1,002)
- Biggest jump: 137 spots in 2016
- Biggest drop: 120 spots in 2022
Rise & fade · boys
40 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1920 at #24 (7,466 births)
- Births halved by 1961, 41 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 79 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 79 yrs · run 1880–1958
- Top 1,000: 139 yrs · run 1880–2012
Share of babies · boys
1 in 134
- Highest: 1 in 134 boys born in 1912 were named Howard (0.75%)
- Latest: 1 in 7,558 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #24 in 1920, was only 1 in 143 (0.70%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 20.3% of all boys named Howard (70,348) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,349 | #37 (1886) | #41 |
| 1890s | 5,949 | #33 (1896) | #36 |
| 1900s | 8,014 | #26 (1909) | #33 |
| 1910s | 46,596 | #24 (1919) | #26 |
| 1920s | 70,348 | #24 (1920) | #27 |
| 1930s | 51,495 | #31 (1930) | #38 |
| 1940s | 53,530 | #45 (1940) | #54 |
| 1950s | 47,852 | #63 (1950) | #82 |
| 1960s | 28,703 | #108 (1960) | #121 |
| 1970s | 12,980 | #156 (1970) | #192 |
| 1980s | 7,052 | #242 (1980) | #304 |
| 1990s | 3,915 | #403 (1990) | #525 |
| 2000s | 2,477 | #643 (2001) | #785 |
| 2010s | 2,111 | #894 (2010) | #972 |
| 2020s | 1,295 | #937 (2021) | #1,017 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Howard ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: