Howard is a common English language surname. Its origins are unclear. One theory is that it derived from the Norman-French personal name "Huard" or "Heward" adapting after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Another theory is that its origin may be pre 7th century Germanic from the personal name "Hughard" (prefix hug, meaning "heart"/"spirit"; suffix hard, meaning "hardy"/"brave"). Yet another theory is that the surname derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian personal name "Haward" (prefix ha, meaning "high"; suffix varthr, meaning "guardian"). The first public record of the surname is dated 1221 in Cambridgeshire. There are several variant surname spellings. People with the surname Howard include:
Members of the English aristocratic Howard family
Ada Howard (1829–1907), first president of Wellesley College
Arliss Howard (born 1954), American actor, writer, director
Barbara Howard, RCA (1926–2002), Canadian artist and wood-engraver
Benjamin Howard (Missouri) U.S. military officer
Benjamin Chew Howard U.S. politician
Billy Howard (born 1950), American football player
Bryce Dallas Howard (born 1981), American actress; daughter of Ron Howard and niece of Clint Howard (see below)
Carlos Howard, Governor of West Florida between 1792 and 93.
Catherine Howard (between 1520 and 1525–1542), Fifth Wife of Henry VIII of England
Cecil de Blaquiere Howard (1888-1956), American sculptor
Charles Howard (various)
Chaunte Howard (born 1984), American high jumper
Clint Howard (born 1959), American actor; brother of Ron Howard (see below)
Curly Howard (1903–1952), U.S. actor, member of the Three Stooges
Curtis W. Howard (1917–1942), United States Navy officer and Navy Cross recipient
Daniel Edward Howard (1861–1935), president of Liberia
Desmond Howard (born 1970), American, Heisman Trophy winner and former professional football player
Dominic Howard (born 1977), English drummer
Dwight Howard (born 1985), American basketball player
Ebenezer Howard (1850–1928), British urban planner (the founder of the garden city movement)
Edgar Howard (1858–1951), American politician
Edward Lee Howard (1951–2002), former U.S. CIA agent who defected to the Soviet Union in 1985
Elizabeth Jane Howard (1923–2014), English novelist
Elston Howard (1929–1980), American baseball player
Emily Howard (born 1979) British composer and chess player
Frank Howard (various)
Frank Ernest Howard, English architect, generally known as F.E. Howard
George Howard, Australian footballer
George Howard (various)
Gorges Edmond Howard (1715–1786) Irish legal and literary writer
Harvey Howard, British rugby league footballer
James Howard (various)
Jane Howard, (1935-1996) Journalist known for her work at Life magazine and a biography of Margaret Mead.
JJ Howard (born 1972), American author
John Howard (various)
Josh Howard (born 1980), American basketball player
Julia C. Howard, American politician
Juwan Howard (born 1973), American basketball player
Kenneth Howard (various)
Leslie Howard (various)
Luke Howard (1772–1864), British chemist and meteorologist (the first one proposes the urban heat island effect)
Madeline Howard (born 1949), American fantasy author
Mark Howard, (born 1986), English footballer
Matt Howard (born 1989), American basketball player
Matt Howard (born 1967), American baseball player
Michael Howard (formerly Hecht) (born 1941), British Conservative politician
Michelle J. Howard (born 1960), U.S. Navy Admiral
Miki Howard (born 1960), American jazz singer
Milford W. Howard (1862–1937), American politician
Moe Howard (1897–1975), American actor, member of the Three Stooges
Oliver O. Howard (1830–1909), General in the U.S. Civil War
Pat Howard (born 1947), English football defender
Pat Howard (born 1973), Australia rugby team head coach
Paul Howard (disambiguation)
Perry H. Howard (1922–2009), sociologist who specialized in Louisiana politics
Perry Wilbon Howard (1877–1961), Republican attorney and African American civil rights activist from Mississippi
Randy Howard (disambiguation)
Raymond Howard, American politician, Missouri senator
Red Howard (1900–1973), American football player
Robert Howard (various)
Ron Howard (born 1954), American actor and film director
Ronald Howard (various)
Russell Howard (born 1980), English comedian
Ryan Howard (born 1979), American baseball player
Shawn Michael Howard (born 1969), American actor
Shemp Howard (1895–1955), American actor, member of the Three Stooges
Sophie Howard (born 1983), British model
T. R. M. Howard (1908–1976), Afro American civil rights leader
Terrence Howard (born 1969), American actor
Thomas Howard, various
Tim Howard (born 1979), American soccer goalkeeper
Traylor Howard (born 1966), American actress
Trevor Howard, (1913–1987), English actor
William Alvin Howard (born 1926), American mathematician
William J. Howard (1799–1862), Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
W. L. "Jack" Howard (1921–1994), Mayor of Monroe, Louisiana; partner of Howard Brothers Discount Stores
