2000
#70
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 254,779
First available Census row
Per 100,000 94.45
Common Last name
Howard
An English occupational surname referring to a sheep herder, goat herder, or guardian of an estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 290,619 Americans carry the last name Howard. That puts it at #81 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 84.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Howard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Howard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
291K
1 in 1,179
Census rank
#81
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
84.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
253K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 253,434 bearers of the surname Howard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 84.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Howard, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Howard
The surname Howard is of English origin, derived from the Old Norse personal name Howarda, which means "high watchman" or "chief guardian." The name first appeared in England in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The name is believed to have been introduced to England by Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
The earliest known bearer of the name was William Howard, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166. The Howard family later became one of the most prominent noble families in England, with their ancestral home being Arundel Castle in Sussex.
One of the most famous Howards in history was Thomas Howard, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554). He was a prominent figure during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, serving as Lord Treasurer and Earl Marshal of England.
Another notable Howard was Catherine Howard (c. 1520-1542), who was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was executed for adultery after less than two years of marriage.
In the 17th century, John Howard (1726-1790) was a renowned English philanthropist and prison reformer. He dedicated his life to improving the conditions of prisons and advocating for the humane treatment of prisoners.
During the American Revolutionary War, John Eager Howard (1752-1827) was a prominent military officer who fought for the Continental Army. He later served as the fifth Governor of Maryland.
The surname Howard has also been associated with several notable writers and artists, including the poets Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-1547), and Edward Howard (1624-1700), as well as the artist Henry Howard (1769-1847), who was known for his paintings of military scenes.
Overall, the surname Howard has a rich history spanning centuries and is closely tied to England's nobility, military, and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Howard
Among Census respondents with the surname Howard, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Howard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Howard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.7% · 156,374
- Black or African American28.8% · 72,998
- Two or more races4.7% · 11,900
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 8,522
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2,083
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1,557
Timeline
Historical Census data for Howard
Howard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#75
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 264,826
+10,047 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 89.78
Rank movement Down 5 places
2020
#81
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253,434
-11,392 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 84.79
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70 | 254,779 | 94.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75 | 264,826 | 89.78 | +10,047 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5 places |
| 2020 | #81 | 253,434 | 84.79 | -11,392 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 6 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Howard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #75 | #81 | -8.0% |
| Count | 264,826 | 253,434 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 89.78 | 84.79 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Howard bearers went from 264,826 to 253,434 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #75 to #81.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Howard
FAQ
Howard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Howard?
Name Census estimates that about 290,619 living Americans carry the surname Howard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,179 residents.
How common is Howard?
Howard ranks #81 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 84.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 85 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 253,434 people with the surname Howard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (290,619), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 84.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 84.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 85 of them to have the surname Howard.
Has Howard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Howard went from 264,826 recorded bearers to 253,434. That is a decrease of 11,392 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #75 to #81.
What does the Census say about the background of Howard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Howard, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Howard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.7% (156,374 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Howard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.7%), Black (28.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Howard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Howard mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a sheep herder, goat herder, or guardian of an estate. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Howard (84.79 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Howard?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Howard is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.