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
- 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
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | |
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 1959
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Delaware#42 · 1 in 236
- Maryland#53 · 1 in 291
- New York#60 · 1 in 347
- New Jersey#64 · 1 in 365
- West Virginia#75 · 1 in 365
Best ever in a state: #8 in Wyoming, 1912.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | #42 | 22 | 1 in 236 |
| Maryland | #53 | 113 | 1 in 291 |
| New York | #60 | 522 | 1 in 347 |
| New Jersey | #64 | 168 | 1 in 365 |
| West Virginia | #75 | 55 | 1 in 365 |
| Mississippi | #76 | 82 | 1 in 338 |
| Rhode Island | #81 | 14 | 1 in 635 |
| Pennsylvania | #82 | 270 | 1 in 451 |
| District of Columbia | #85 | 37 | 1 in 402 |
| South Carolina | #86 | 78 | 1 in 367 |
| Virginia | #86 | 109 | 1 in 396 |
| Massachusetts | #87 | 80 | 1 in 705 |
| North Carolina | #87 | 133 | 1 in 396 |
| Tennessee | #88 | 92 | 1 in 433 |
| Illinois | #96 | 221 | 1 in 526 |
| Connecticut | #97 | 39 | 1 in 683 |
| Alabama | #98 | 82 | 1 in 469 |
| Kentucky | #98 | 65 | 1 in 557 |
| Oklahoma | #99 | 49 | 1 in 490 |
| Alaska | #100 | 8 | 1 in 364 |
| Ohio | #101 | 187 | 1 in 606 |
| Arkansas | #103 | 39 | 1 in 502 |
| Vermont | #103 | 7 | 1 in 583 |
| Florida | #104 | 111 | 1 in 484 |
| Maine | #104 | 16 | 1 in 665 |
| Georgia | #106 | 94 | 1 in 510 |
| Hawaii | #111 | 17 | 1 in 420 |
| Indiana | #112 | 82 | 1 in 668 |
| Nebraska | #112 | 25 | 1 in 646 |
| Missouri | #113 | 80 | 1 in 616 |
| Montana | #113 | 14 | 1 in 558 |
| Kansas | #114 | 41 | 1 in 580 |
| Michigan | #114 | 141 | 1 in 684 |
| New Hampshire | #114 | 8 | 1 in 756 |
| Louisiana | #116 | 83 | 1 in 514 |
| Washington | #116 | 51 | 1 in 617 |
| Iowa | #122 | 40 | 1 in 775 |
| Wyoming | #122 | 6 | 1 in 554 |
| Texas | #127 | 221 | 1 in 557 |
| Wisconsin | #127 | 44 | 1 in 1,081 |
| California | #134 | 264 | 1 in 680 |
| Oregon | #136 | 23 | 1 in 745 |
| Minnesota | #137 | 39 | 1 in 1,084 |
| Colorado | #138 | 32 | 1 in 666 |
| Arizona | #144 | 25 | 1 in 646 |
| Idaho | #144 | 11 | 1 in 690 |
| South Dakota | #149 | 10 | 1 in 811 |
| New Mexico | #167 | 16 | 1 in 833 |
| North Dakota | #177 | 7 | 1 in 1,081 |
| Utah | #183 | 11 | 1 in 1,079 |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
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
- 55 spots since 2024 (#1,057 → #1,002)
- 42 spots since 2020 (#1,044 → #1,002)
- 36 spots since 2015 (#1,038 → #1,002)
- Biggest jump: 137 spots in 2016 (#1,038 → #901)
- Biggest drop: 120 spots in 2022 (#937 → #1,057)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1920 at #24 (7,466 births)
- Births halved by 1961, 41 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 79 yrs · run 1880–1958
- Top 1,000: 139 yrs · run 1880–2012
- 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
- 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.
Howard in 1959
Top girls' names in 1959
Top boys' names in 1959
More about 1959
girls
2,023,462 girls got a published name in 1959; 1 in 168,622 of them was named Howard, which outranked 49.8% of the 7,202 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,436Wendelin13
- #3,436Willow13
- #3,436Zenda13
- #3,619Howard12
- #3,619Albertine12
- #3,619Aleen12
- #3,619Alex12
- #3,827Adaline11
- #3,827Alfrieda11
- #3,827Amada11
Tied with 207 names at #3,619; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,134,518 boys got a published name in 1959; 1 in 535 of them was named Howard, which outranked 97.7% of the 4,572 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.