Howard
Boy name · #1002 in 2025 · Uniqueness 58/100
Howard ranks #1002 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 226 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1038, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,965 boys born in 2025 was named Howard.
The 145-year story
Howard first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 357 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 7,713 boys were named Howard — good for #27 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Howard per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Howard against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Howard in class?
Howard scores 58 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Howard is most common
Geography matters for names, and Howard is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Howards were CA (19), PA (13), TX (12), MN (10), WI (10). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Howard
Statistically, parents drawn to Howard tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Leonard, Bernard, Harold, Willard, and Clifford.
LeonardBernardHaroldWillardCliffordAlfredErnestEdmund
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Howard | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 226 | #1002 |
| 2024 | 207 | #1057 |
| 2023 | 219 | #1003 |
| 2022 | 208 | #1057 |
| 2021 | 241 | #937 |
| 2020 | 194 | #1044 |
| 2019 | 216 | #984 |
| 2018 | 213 | #975 |
| 2017 | 203 | #996 |
| 2016 | 241 | #901 |
| 2015 | 194 | #1038 |
| 2014 | 211 | #986 |
| 2013 | 194 | #1008 |
| 2012 | 203 | #983 |
| 2011 | 207 | #957 |
| 2010 | 229 | #894 |
| 2009 | 216 | #942 |
| 2008 | 229 | #906 |
| 2007 | 241 | #861 |
| 2006 | 243 | #834 |
| 2005 | 229 | #822 |
| 2004 | 235 | #774 |
| 2003 | 258 | #718 |
| 2002 | 266 | #684 |
| 2001 | 290 | #643 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Howard a popular boy name?
Howard ranked #1002 among boys in 2025 with 226 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1038.
When was the name Howard most popular?
Howard peaked in 1921, when 7,713 American boys received the name (ranked #27 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Howard?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,965 newborn American boys was named Howard. It scores 58/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.