Total births
3,923
Boys' name · since 1880
Howell
3,923 babies named Howell in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7261
- among boys today
- 3,923
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Howell is the #7261 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,923 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Howell recorded 3,923 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #7261 nationally today, ahead of 49% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #7261 among boys today
- 3,923 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 49% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Howell is currently the #7261 boys' name in America, more common than 49% of boys - 3,923 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7261
- among boys today
- 3,923
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Howell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7261
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 49% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Howell was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
93 babies were named Howell in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Howell compares
3,923 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Howell's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Howell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,923 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 93 | 23 | 22,252 |
Howell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Howell's full recorded timeline at 1947, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1986, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 93 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Howell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#7,261
Active since
1880
Howell popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 93
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Howell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Howell's strongest decade.
730 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Howell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 93
1880s
93 births
- 1890s 97
1890s
97 births
- 1900s 102
1900s
102 births
- 1910s
1910s
500 births
- 1920s
1920s
730 births
- 1930s
1930s
607 births
- 1940s
1940s
556 births
- 1950s
1950s
540 births
- 1960s 290
1960s
290 births
- 1970s 138
1970s
138 births
- 1980s 78
1980s
78 births
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
- 2000s 45
2000s
45 births
- 2010s 36
2010s
36 births
- 2020s 65
2020s
65 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 730 births (19% of all-time use).
How Howell 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 Howell's total volume
Howell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Howell by state
Where Howell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 493 | 12.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 316 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 165 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 158 | 4.0% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 66 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 43 | 1.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 26 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 23 | 0.6% |
Georgia share of Howell's total US births 12.6%
Even split
493 of 3,923 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Howell appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Howell? ▼
3,923 babies have been named Howell since 1880. It currently ranks #7261 among boys. The peak year was 1920 with 93 births.
When was Howell most popular? ▼
Howell was most popular in the 1920s decade with 730 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Howell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Howell are Georgia (493 births), Texas (316 births), Tennessee (165 births).
How long has the name Howell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Howell since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Howell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Howard, Howie, Howl, Howe, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Howell's data
- Howell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (730 total births); usage has since declined to 65 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Howells (493 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Howell
Nearby Names Like Howell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Howell
Howard Boy
#1057 346,666 births
Howie Boy
#5103 788 births
Howl Boy
#6186 54 births
Howe Boy
28 births
Howland Boy
22 births
Compare Howell side by side: Howell vs Howard Howell vs Howie Howell vs Howl
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Howell
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. "Howell: #7261 Boys' Name - 3,923 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/howell. 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 Howell 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.