Howard was a very popular boys' name that peaked at #24 in 1919 but is far less common today.
Howard is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #1,004 for boy births in the United States (and #2,044 across all names), given to 226 babies. Howard first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1921 (7,713 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 226 | 226 | — | #1,004 |
| 2024 | 207 | 207 | — | #1,059 |
| 2023 | 219 | 219 | — | #1,005 |
| 2022 | 208 | 208 | — | #1,057 |
| 2021 | 241 | 241 | — | #939 |
| 2020 | 194 | 194 | — | #1,044 |
| 2019 | 216 | 216 | — | #984 |
| 2018 | 213 | 213 | — | #976 |
| 2017 | 203 | 203 | — | #999 |
| 2016 | 241 | 241 | — | #901 |
| 2015 | 194 | 194 | — | #1,038 |
| 2014 | 211 | 211 | — | #987 |
| 2013 | 194 | 194 | — | #1,009 |
| 2012 | 203 | 203 | — | #986 |
| 2011 | 207 | 207 | — | #959 |
| 2010 | 229 | 229 | — | #895 |
| 2009 | 216 | 216 | — | #942 |
| 2008 | 229 | 229 | — | #907 |
| 2007 | 241 | 241 | — | #862 |
| 2006 | 243 | 243 | — | #837 |
| 2005 | 229 | 229 | — | #823 |
| 2004 | 235 | 235 | — | #775 |
| 2003 | 258 | 258 | — | #718 |
| 2002 | 266 | 266 | — | #685 |
| 2001 | 290 | 290 | — | #644 |
| 2000 | 270 | 270 | — | #664 |
| 1999 | 277 | 277 | — | #638 |
| 1998 | 330 | 330 | — | #586 |
| 1997 | 324 | — | — | #572 |
| 1996 | 305 | — | — | #589 |
| 1995 | 358 | — | — | #532 |
| 1994 | 374 | — | — | #523 |
| 1993 | 416 | — | — | #499 |
| 1992 | 464 | — | — | #466 |
| 1991 | 495 | — | — | #444 |
| 1990 | 572 | — | — | #403 |
| 1989 | 559 | — | — | #392 |
| 1988 | 614 | — | — | #344 |
| 1987 | 632 | — | #10,323 | #330 |
| 1986 | 606 | — | #9,977 | #331 |
| 1985 | 683 | — | #9,736 | #302 |
| 1984 | 683 | — | #7,002 | #298 |
| 1983 | 727 | — | — | #282 |
| 1982 | 808 | — | #5,324 | #268 |
| 1981 | 861 | — | #9,507 | #255 |
| 1980 | 935 | — | #6,459 | #242 |
| 1979 | 933 | — | #8,343 | #238 |
| 1978 | 964 | — | #7,189 | #222 |
| 1977 | 1,030 | — | #5,030 | #216 |
| 1976 | 1,044 | — | #4,990 | #208 |
| 1975 | 1,181 | — | #4,222 | #195 |
| 1974 | 1,216 | — | #6,455 | #186 |
| 1973 | 1,366 | — | #3,687 | #174 |
| 1972 | 1,507 | — | #4,162 | #168 |
| 1971 | 1,847 | — | #5,252 | #156 |
| 1970 | 2,014 | — | #3,480 | #156 |
| 1969 | 2,161 | — | #3,679 | #142 |
| 1968 | 2,171 | — | #3,500 | #133 |
| 1967 | 2,296 | — | #3,924 | #131 |
| 1966 | 2,559 | — | #3,629 | #120 |
| 1965 | 2,693 | — | #3,311 | #122 |
| 1964 | 3,070 | — | #4,193 | #116 |
| 1963 | 3,173 | — | #3,691 | #114 |
| 1962 | 3,289 | — | #3,875 | #114 |
| 1961 | 3,590 | — | #2,779 | #109 |
| 1960 | 3,841 | — | #3,420 | #108 |
| 1959 | 3,999 | — | #3,691 | #104 |
| 1958 | 4,379 | — | #3,150 | #95 |
| 1957 | 4,629 | — | #3,082 | #89 |
| 1956 | 4,724 | — | #2,862 | #84 |
| 1955 | 4,768 | — | #2,363 | #83 |
| 1954 | 4,950 | — | #2,734 | #80 |
| 1953 | 5,008 | — | #2,197 | #77 |
| 1952 | 5,257 | — | #3,096 | #73 |
| 1951 | 5,119 | — | #3,363 | #74 |
| 1950 | 5,176 | — | #3,130 | #63 |
| 1949 | 5,294 | — | #3,479 | #63 |
| 1948 | 5,506 | — | #3,705 | #63 |
| 1947 | 6,082 | — | #2,161 | #62 |
| 1946 | 5,702 | — | #3,801 | #55 |
| 1945 | 4,791 | — | #1,770 | #54 |
| 1944 | 5,041 | — | #2,238 | #53 |
| 1943 | 5,760 | — | #1,919 | #48 |
| 1942 | 5,591 | — | #1,938 | #49 |
| 1941 | 5,081 | — | #2,304 | #47 |
| 1940 | 4,834 | — | #2,825 | #45 |
| 1939 | 4,644 | — | #1,329 | #47 |
| 1938 | 5,034 | — | #2,054 | #42 |
| 1937 | 4,722 | — | #1,655 | #42 |
| 1936 | 4,905 | — | #1,305 | #40 |
| 1935 | 4,989 | — | #1,809 | #39 |
| 1934 | 5,090 | — | #1,626 | #37 |
| 1933 | 5,027 | — | #1,273 | #36 |
| 1932 | 5,325 | — | #1,279 | #36 |
| 1931 | 5,657 | — | #1,269 | #34 |
| 1930 | 6,395 | — | #1,005 | #31 |
| 1929 | 6,056 | — | #1,083 | #31 |
| 1928 | 6,552 | — | #999 | #31 |
| 1927 | 6,873 | — | #1,207 | #28 |
| 1926 | 6,886 | — | #1,061 | #27 |
| 1925 | 7,221 | — | #1,111 | #26 |
| 1924 | 7,417 | — | #1,156 | #26 |
| 1923 | 7,192 | — | #1,313 | #26 |
| 1922 | 7,337 | — | #1,215 | #26 |
| 1921 | 7,749 | — | #1,318 | #27 |
| 1920 | 7,510 | — | #1,146 | #24 |
| 1919 | 6,871 | — | #1,498 | #24 |
| 1918 | 6,966 | — | #1,223 | #26 |
| 1917 | 6,444 | — | #1,248 | #26 |
| 1916 | 6,201 | — | #1,344 | #25 |
| 1915 | 6,130 | — | #1,381 | #25 |
| 1914 | 4,515 | — | #1,243 | #26 |
| 1913 | 3,683 | — | #1,289 | #26 |
| 1912 | 3,231 | — | #1,230 | #25 |
| 1911 | 1,473 | — | #2,314 | #28 |
| 1910 | 1,309 | — | — | #27 |
| 1909 | 1,175 | — | #1,527 | #26 |
| 1908 | 1,083 | — | #2,257 | #28 |
| 1907 | 875 | — | — | #33 |
| 1906 | 809 | — | #1,829 | #32 |
| 1905 | 746 | — | #1,207 | #35 |
| 1904 | 732 | — | #1,756 | #35 |
| 1903 | 636 | — | — | #37 |
| 1902 | 632 | — | — | #35 |
| 1901 | 589 | — | #1,792 | #34 |
| 1900 | 784 | — | #2,056 | #35 |
| 1899 | 594 | — | #1,713 | #34 |
| 1898 | 712 | — | #1,594 | #35 |
| 1897 | 634 | — | — | #33 |
| 1896 | 677 | — | — | #33 |
| 1895 | 641 | — | — | #33 |
| 1894 | 612 | — | — | #33 |
| 1893 | 556 | — | — | #35 |
| 1892 | 548 | — | — | #39 |
| 1891 | 490 | — | #1,411 | #40 |
| 1890 | 509 | — | #1,046 | #40 |
| 1889 | 503 | — | — | #38 |
| 1888 | 521 | — | #988 | #40 |
| 1887 | 434 | — | #1,214 | #42 |
| 1886 | 467 | — | — | #37 |
| 1885 | 438 | — | — | #41 |
| 1884 | 432 | — | — | #44 |
| 1883 | 429 | — | — | #39 |
| 1882 | 422 | — | — | #42 |
| 1881 | 359 | — | — | #42 |
| 1880 | 357 | — | — | #44 |