The name Howard is of English origin, derived from the Anglo-Saxon given name 'Huard', which means 'brave heart'. It was popular among the Normans who brought it to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Howard became a surname first and later evolved into a given name. Notable individuals with this name include American poet Robert Howard (better known by his pen name, 'Bobby Burns'), and English-American astronomer John Howard (who discovered several asteroids).
The name Howard experienced significant popularity fluctuations over time. It peaked during World War I with a record high of 38 births in 1918 and remained consistently popular throughout the 1920s, with yearly counts ranging from 33 to 56. However, it started declining gradually from the late 1930s onwards, reaching an all-time low of 6 births in some years between 1980 and 1987. Overall, there were a total of 1676 births named Howard over this period.