Howard is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-language

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

originating from Old French Huard (or

Houard Houard is a French surname French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic g ...

) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probably in some cases a confusion with the Old Norse cognate ''Haward'' (''Hávarðr''), which means "high guard" and as a surname also with the unrelated Hayward. In some rare cases it is from the Old English ''eowu hierde'' "ewe herd". In Anglo-Norman the French digram ''-ou-'' was often rendered as ''-ow-'' such as ''tour'' → ''tower'', ''flour'' (western variant form of ''fleur'') → ''flower'', etc. (with svarabakhti). A diminutive is "Howie" and its shortened form is "Ward" (most common in the 19th century). Between 1900 and 1960, Howard ranked in the U.S. Top 200; between 1960 and 1990, it ranked in the U.S. Top 400; between 1990 and 2004, it ranked in the U.S. Top 600. People with the given name Howard or its variants include:

Given name

Howard Allen Howard Arthur Allen (February 10, 1949 – June 5, 2020) was an American serial killer from Indianapolis, Indiana. He murdered three elderly people and also committed assault, burglary, and arson. Early life Allen was one of eight children wh ...

(1949–2020), American serial killer * Howard

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

(1946–1971), American guitar virtuoso * Howard Anderson (disambiguation), name of several people *

Howard Andrew Howard Andrew (1934 – January 13, 2021) was an American poker player, best known for his success at the 1976 World Series of Poker (WSOP). He participated in the WSOP Main Event each year from 1974 until his death, the longest such streak of ...

(1934–2021), American poker player *

Howard Ashman Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(1950–1991), American lyricist known for ''Little Shop of Horrors'', ''The Little Mermaid'' and ''Beauty and the Beast'' *

Howard Baker (disambiguation) Howard Baker (1925–2014) was a U.S. senator from Tennessee and ambassador to Japan. Howard Baker may also refer to: * Howard Baker (baseball) (1888–1964), Major League Baseball player *Benjamin Howard Baker (1892–1987), English association ...

, name of several people * Howard Burnett (athlete) (born 1961), Jamaican track and field athlete * Howard J. Burnett (1929–2019), American president of Washington & Jefferson College * Howard Carpendale (born 1946), German singer *

Howard Carter (disambiguation) Howard Carter (1874–1939) was an English archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb. Howard Carter may also refer to: * Howard Carter (basketball) Howard O'Neal Carter (born October 26, 1961) is a retired American-French professional bas ...

, name of several people *

Howard Cosell Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(1918–1995), sports broadcaster * Howard Ward Cunningham (born 1949), American founder of WikiWikiWeb *

Howard David Howard David is an American sportscaster. Biography Over the years, David has been the radio play-by-play man for several pro sports teams including the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics and the NFL's New York Jets an ...

, American sportscaster *

Howard Davies (disambiguation) Howard Davies may refer to: * Howard Davies (rugby union) (1916–1987), Wales rugby union international * Sir Howard Davies (economist) (born 1951), former Director of the London School of Economics and former British financial regulator * Howard ...

, name of several people * Howard Davis (disambiguation), name of several people *

Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, lobbyist, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 2009 ...

(born 1948), American politician *

Howard Donald Howard Paul Donald (born 28 April 1968) is an English singer, songwriter, drummer, pianist, dancer and record producer. He is a member of English pop-group Take That. Donald was also judge on the German reality talent show ''Got to Dance'' fro ...

(born 1968), English singer * Howard Devoto (born Howard Trafford, 1952), English singer-songwriter * Howard Duff (1913–1990), American actor *

Howard Eastman Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(born 1970), Guyanese-British boxer *

Howard Ehmke Howard John Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 16 years from 1914 to 1930, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (19 ...

(1894–1959), American baseball pitcher *

Howard Eisenberg Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(born 1926), American author and journalist *

Howard Eisley Howard Jonathan Eisley (born December 4, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player and current coach. Born in Detroit, Eisley played college basketball at Boston College and was drafted in 1994 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eisle ...

(born 1972), American basketball player and coach *

Howard Engel Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(1931–2019), Canadian mystery writer *

Howard Eskin Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

(born 1951), American sports radio personality *

Howard Evans (disambiguation) Howard Evans may refer to: * Howard Evans (journalist) (1839–1915), British Radical and Nonconformist journalist * Howard Ensign Evans (1919–2002), American entomologist * Howard Evans (musician) Howard Evans (29 February 1944 in Chard, Some ...

, name of several people * Howard Goodall (born 1958), British musician, musicologist and TV presenter * Howard Grant (boxer) (born 1966), Jamaican-Canadian boxer * Howard Hawks (1896–1977), American producer * Howard Hesseman (1940–2022), American actor * Howard A. Howe (1901–1976), American virologist *

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

(1905–1976), American aviation pioneer and film mogul *

Howard Jacobson Howard Eric Jacobson (born 25 August 1942) is a British novelist and journalist. He is known for writing comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters.Ragi, K. R., "Howard Jacobson's ''The Finkler Question'' as ...

(born 1942), British novelist and journalist *

Howard Johnson (disambiguation) Howard Johnson may refer to: Entertainers Music * Howard Johnson (lyricist) (1887–1941), American songwriter * Howard E. Johnson (1908–1991), American swing alto saxophonist * Howie Johnson (drummer) (1932–1987), drummer for American rock ...

, name of several people *

Howard Jones (disambiguation) Howard Jones may refer to: *Howard Jones (British musician) (born 1955), English pop singer *Howard Jones (American musician) (born 1970), vocalist for Light The Torch *Howard Jones (American football coach) (1885–1941), American football player ...

, name of several people * Howard Judd (1935–2007), American physician and medical researcher *

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS te ...

(1919–2004), singer and actor born Harry Keel *

Howard Kendall Howard Kendall (22 May 1946 – 17 October 2015) was an English footballer and manager. Kendall joined Preston North End as an apprentice and stayed with the club when he turned professional. He was a runner-up in the 1964 FA Cup with Preston, ...

, English football player and manager * Howard Andrew Knox (1885–1949), American physician * Howard Lassoff (1955–2013), American-Israeli basketball player *

Howard Lederer Howard Henry Lederer (born October 30, 1964) is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Series of Poker bracelets and holds two World Poker Tour titles. Lederer has also contributed to several books on poker strategy and has ...

(born 1964), professional poker player * Howard Lesnick (1931–2020), American, Jefferson B. Fordham Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School * Howard Long (1905–1939), American convicted murderer * H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937), American writer (full name Howard Phillips Lovecraft) * Howard McNear (1905–1969), American radio and television actor *

Howard Marks Dennis Howard Marks (13 August 1945 – 10 April 2016) was a Welsh drug smuggler and author who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases. At his peak he claimed to have been smuggling consignmen ...

(1945–2016), teacher, drug smuggler and author * Howard Matthews (1885–1963), English footballer * Howard W. Mattson (1927–1998), American chemist and journalist * Howard T. Odum (1924–2002), American ecologist * Howard Allen O'Brien, birth name of American writer

Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels '' The Vampire Chronicles''. ...

* Howard Payne (athlete) (1931–1992), English hammer thrower *

Howard Schatz Howard Schatz (born 1940) is an American photographer, who previously had a career as an ophthalmologist. Life and work Ophthalmology Schatz began his professional life in medicine. He completed his medical degree at The University of Illinois Col ...

, American fine art photographer * Howard Shore (born 1946), Canadian composer * Howard Smith (disambiguation), name of several people * Howard Smothers (born 1973), American football player * Howard Spira, American gambler who was paid by George Steinbrenner to find dirt on baseball player Dave Winfield *

Howard Stableford Howard Stableford is a British television and radio presenter. Background Stableford was born 12 April 1959 in Poynton, Cheshire and grew up in Preston, Lancashire. He attended Hutton Grammar School. He read for a Geography degree at Durham Univ ...

(born 1959), British television and radio presenter *

Howard Staunton Howard Staunton (April 1810 – 22 June 1874) was an English chess master who is generally regarded as the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Ama ...

(1810–1874), British chess player and Shakespearean scholar *

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...

(born 1954), American talk-radio host * Howard K. Stern (born 1968), attorney for Anna Nicole Smith * Howard Stidham (born 1954), American football player * Howard Stupp (born 1955), Canadian Olympic wrestler *

Howard Tayler Howard V. Tayler (born February 29, 1968 in Florida) is the creator of the webcomic ''Schlock Mercenary''. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University. Using his degree in music compositi ...

(born 1968), American cartoonist * Howard Turner (1897–1976), American football player *

Howard Unruh Howard Barton Unruh (January 21, 1921 – October 19, 2009) was an American mass murderer who shot and killed thirteen people during a twelve-minute walk through his neighborhood in Camden, New Jersey, on September 6, 1949 in an incident that b ...

(1921–2009), American spree killer *

Howard Wales Howard Wales (February 8, 1943 – December 7, 2020) was an American keyboardist who worked in a wide variety of styles. He was a collaborator with Jerry Garcia in the early 1970s. Wales was a session player for many musical acts, including Ron ...

(1943–2020), American musician * Howard Walker (disambiguation), name of several people * Howard Walter (1883–1918), American Congregationalist minister and hymnist * Howard Watt (1911–2005), South African rugby union player * Howard Watts III (born 1987), American politician *

Howard Wilkinson Howard Wilkinson (born 13 November 1943) is an English former footballer and manager. Despite having a low-profile playing career, Wilkinson embarked on a successful managerial career. He won the First Division championship in 1992 with Leeds ...

(born 1943), English football manager * Howard Williams (disambiguation), name of several people * Howard Wilson (born 1995), American football player * Howard Wilson (physicist), British physicist *

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a politica ...

(1922–2010), American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist

Howie

Howie B Howard Bernstein (born 18 April 1963, Glasgow, Scotland), professionally known as Howie B, is a Scottish musician, producer and DJ who has worked with artists including: Björk, U2, Tricky, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Soul II Soul, Robbie ...

(born 1963), Scottish musician and producer Howard Bernstein * Howie Carr (born 1952), American journalist *

Howie Day Howard Kern Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals to accompany himself. He self-financed and s ...

(born 1981), American singer-songwriter *

Howie Dorough Howard Dwaine Dorough (born August 22, 1973) is an American singer. He is a member of the pop vocal group Backstreet Boys. Early life Dorough was born August 22, 1973, in Orlando, Florida, where he met his friend and bandmate A.J. McLean throu ...

(born 1973), American musician with Backstreet Boys *

Howie Epstein Howard Norman Epstein (July 21, 1955 – February 23, 2003) was an American musician best known as a bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early life Epstein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in a musical household. His ...

(1955–2003), American musician * Howie Gordon (later known as

Richard Pacheco Richard Pacheco (born Howard Marc Gordon; May 5, 1948) is an American former pornographic film and video actor, writer and director who retired from the X-rated business in the mid-1980s. He appeared in more than 100 x-rated films and videos ...

), American pornographic actor *

Howie Hawkins } Howard Gresham Hawkins III (born December 8, 1952) is an American trade unionist, environmental activist, and perennial candidate from New York. A co-founder of the Green Party of the United States, Hawkins was the party's presidential nominee ...

, American politician and activist *

Howie Long Howard Matthew Moses Long (born January 6, 1960) is an American sports analyst and former professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons as a defensive end, spending his entire career with the Raider ...

(born 1960), American former football player and actor * Howie Mandel (born 1955), Canadian comedian and actor, host of the TV show ''Deal or No Deal'' * Howie Meeker (1923–2020), Canadian hockey player, TV sports announcer, Member of Parliament *

Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Blac ...

(1902–1937), Canadian ice hockey player *

Howie Nave Howie Nave, also known as Howard Nave, is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, radio personality, writer, and movie critic based in the resort town of Lake tahoe, Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He was recently known for incorporating music, especi ...

(born 1956), American comedian, radio personality, writer, promoter and movie critic *

Howie Rose Howard Jeffrey Rose (born February 13, 1954) is an American sportscaster. He is currently a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets on WCBS. Previously, Rose called play-by-play for the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Early life Rose ...

(born 1954), American sportscaster * Howie Severino (born 1961), Filipino broadcast journalist *

Howie Winter Howard Thomas Winter (March 17, 1929 – November 12, 2020) was an American mobster. He was a leader of the Winter Hill Gang. Early life Winter was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 17, 1929. He was of German and Irish descent. Winter die ...

(1929–2020), American mobster

Fictional characters

* Howard Bellamy (Doctors), in the British soap opera ''Doctors'' * Howard Clifford, a fictional villain in the '' Detective Pikachu'' movie *

Howard Cunningham (Happy Days) Howard C. Cunningham is a fictional character played by Tom Bosley on the 1970s sitcom ''Happy Days''. Actor Harold Gould played the character in the pilot, which aired as an episode of the anthology series ''Love, American Style''. He is the ...

, in the ''Happy Days'' TV series *

Howard Hamlin Howard Hamlin is a fictional character who appears in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel of ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Patrick Fabian and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Hamlin i ...

, a fictional character on the AMC television series ''Better Call Saul'' * Howard Huge, a comic strip dog * Howard Hunter, in the TV series ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', played by James B. Sikking * Howard Langston, in the 1996 film '' Jingle All the Way'' * Howard McBride, in the animated series ''The Loud House'' * Howard McGreggor, in the TV series ''

Fresh Meat (TV series) ''Fresh Meat'' is a British comedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, who also created '' Peep Show''. The first episode, directed by David Kerr, was broadcast on Channel 4 on 21 September 2011, and the show aired ...

'' *

Howard Moon ''The Mighty Boosh'' is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Recurring characters from the The Mighty Boosh, television series, the The Mighty Boosh (radio series), radio series, and the various stage sho ...

, in the TV series ''The Mighty Boosh'', portrayed by Julian Barratt *

Howard Roark ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect, who battles against conventional standards and refuses to comp ...

, protagonist of Ayn Rand's novel ''The Fountainhead'' *

Howard Stark Howard Stark is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a background character in stories featuring Iron Man and stories featuring Captain America. He is the founde ...

, father of Iron Man Tony Stark *

Howard Wolowitz Howard Joel Wolowitz, M.Eng. is a fictional character on the CBS television series ''The Big Bang Theory'', portrayed by actor Simon Helberg. Among the four main male characters in the show, Howard is distinctive for being an engineer—rather ...

, a fictional character on the CBS television series ''The Big Bang Theory'', portrayed by actor Simon Helberg. *

Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...

, a comic book character * Howard Link, a "Crow" and Inspector for the Black Order in the D. Gray Man Anime/Manga * Howard Marner, a fictional character from

Short Circuit (1986 film) ''Short Circuit'' is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by John Badham and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock. The film's plot centers upon an experimental military robot that is struck by lightning and gains a human-lik ...

* Howard Silk, main character and agent in the TV series ''

Counterpart (TV series) ''Counterpart'' is an American science fiction thriller television series starring J. K. Simmons. It was created by Justin Marks and was first broadcast on the premium cable network Starz. The series ran for 20 episodes across two seasons. It pr ...

'' * Howard DeVille, in the animated series ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

References

{{given name English masculine given names Given names originating from a surname