Howard

English

Etymology

Medieval personal name from Middle English Howard, Howarde, from Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”). In some cases a variant of Heward, from Old French Huard.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhaʊɚd/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhaʊəd/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Hyphenation: How‧ard

Proper noun

Howard (countable and uncountable, plural Howards)

1. A surname originating as a patronymic.
   • 1675, Edward Phillips, Egerton Brydges, Theatrum Poetarum Anglicanorum, page V:

     Henry Howard, the most noble Earl of Surry, who flourishing in the time of King Henry the 8.th, as his name is sufficiently famous for the martial exploits of that family for many generations, so deserves he, had he his due, the particular fame of learning, wit, and poetic fancy

2. A male given name from the Germanic languages, transferred back from the surname. Short form: Howie.
   • 1984, Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine, Bantam Books, published 1987, →ISBN, page 238,250:

     "King Howard Kashpaw, Junior," said his new teacher. "Which one of those names would you like to be called?"
     He had never thought about it.
     "Howard," he was surprised to hear himself answer. It was that simple. After that he was Howard at school. - - -
     ""He don't call himself Little King anymore," Lynette said from the kitchen. "He thinks his name's Howard."
     "Howard?"
     The boy looked at me and nodded.
     "He won't claim his dad no more," said King, standing in the doorway. "He's too good."

3. A number of places in the United States, including:
   1. A small city, the county seat of Elk County, Kansas.
   2. A small city, the county seat of Miner County, South Dakota.
   3. A village in Brown County and Outagamie County, Wisconsin, named after Benjamin Howard.
   4. A town and unincorporated community therein, in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, also named after Benjamin Howard.
   5. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Howard Township.
4. A rural town in Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.
5. (US) Ellipsis of Howard University.

Derived terms

• Curry-Howard correspondence
• Howard County
• Howardian, Howardian Hills
• howardite

Translations

surname

• Arabic: هُوَارْد m or f (huwārd)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 霍華德／霍华德 (zh) (Huòhuádé)

• Greek: Χάουαρντ (el) (Cháouarnt)
• Irish: Ní hÍomhair
• Japanese: ホワード (Howādo), ハワード (Hawādo)
• Korean: 하워드 (Hawodeu)
• Latin: Hugardus
• Russian: Го́вард m or f (Góvard), Ха́уард m or f (Xáuard), Хо́вард (ru) m or f (Xóvard)

male given name

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 霍華德／霍华德 (zh) (Huòhuádé)

• Georgian: ჰოვარდი (hovardi)
• Greek: Χάουαρντ (el) (Cháouarnt)
• Japanese: ホワード (Howādo), ハワード (Hawādo)
• Latin: Hugardus
• Norwegian: Håvard (no)
• Russian: Го́вард m (Góvard), Ха́уард m (Xáuard), Хо́вард (ru) m (Xóvard)
• Spanish: Hugardo m

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Howard is the 75^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 264,826 individuals. Howard is most common among White (64.31%) and Black (29.49%) individuals.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Howarde

Etymology

From Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”).

Proper noun

Howard

1. a surname originating as a patronymic, equivalent to English Howard
   • 1426, Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk. 64:

     Wyllyam Clopton..yaf and graunted, and be his chartre confermed, to John Howard..his maner of Newenham..be vertu of which dede the same Wyllyam..yaf me seisyn.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• English: Howard