Total births
346,666
Boys' name · since 1880
Howard
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 346,666 babies named Howard, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1057
- among boys today
- 346,666
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Howard is the #1057 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 346,666 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Howard has been recorded 346,666 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1057 nationally and more common than 93% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1057 among boys today
- 346,666 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Howard is currently the #1057 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 346,666 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1057
- among boys today
- 346,666
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Howard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1057
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Howard was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
7,713 babies were named Howard in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Howard compares
346,666 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Howard's all-time total is 945x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Howard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 346,666 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,713 | 23 | 22,252 |
Howard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Howard splits its recorded history at 1953: 26% of all births land in the more recent half, 74% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2013 (194 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 7,713 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Howard at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,057
Active since
1880
Howard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 7,713
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Howard popularity over time - girls
1,676 total births recorded since 1887 (Howard as girls' name)
Howard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Howard's strongest decade.
70,348 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Howard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,349
1880s
4,349 births
- 1890s 5,949
1890s
5,949 births
- 1900s 8,014
1900s
8,014 births
- 1910s
1910s
46,596 births
- 1920s
1920s
70,348 births
- 1930s
1930s
51,495 births
- 1940s
1940s
53,530 births
- 1950s
1950s
47,852 births
- 1960s
1960s
28,703 births
- 1970s 12,980
1970s
12,980 births
- 1980s 7,052
1980s
7,052 births
- 1990s 3,915
1990s
3,915 births
- 2000s 2,477
2000s
2,477 births
- 2010s 2,111
2010s
2,111 births
- 2020s 1,295
2020s
1,295 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 70,348 births (20% of all-time use).
How Howard compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Howard's total volume
Howard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Howard by state
Where Howard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 37,000 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 24,131 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 18,185 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 17,571 | 5.1% |
| #5 | California | | 14,337 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Texas | | 13,539 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 12,214 | 3.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 11,358 | 3.3% |
New York share of Howard's total US births 10.7%
Even split
37,000 of 346,666 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Howard appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Howard? ▼
346,666 babies have been named Howard since 1880. It currently ranks #1057 among boys. The peak year was 1921 with 7,713 births.
When was Howard most popular? ▼
Howard was most popular in the 1920s decade with 70,348 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Howard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Howard are New York (37,000 births), Pennsylvania (24,131 births), Ohio (18,185 births).
How long has the name Howard been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Howard since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Howard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Howell, Howie, Howl, Howe, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Howard's data
- Howard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (70,348 total births); usage has since declined to 1,295 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Howards (37,000 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Howard
Nearby Names Like Howard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Howard
Howell Boy
#7261 3,923 births
Howie Boy
#5103 788 births
Howl Boy
#6186 54 births
Howe Boy
28 births
Howland Boy
22 births
Compare Howard side by side: Howard vs Howell Howard vs Howie Howard vs Howl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Howard
Mael #1056
1,353 births · Peak 2023
Brennan #1058
33,258 births · Peak 2009
Hollis #1055
16,014 births · Peak 1921
Brett #1059
159,109 births · Peak 1986
Yadiel #1054
4,226 births · Peak 2025
Caius #1060
2,329 births · Peak 2025
Kilian #1053
2,690 births · Peak 2023
Syncere #1061
3,134 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Howard: #1057 Boys' Name - 346,666 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/howard. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Howard draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.