History of your Surname
Get access to Howard family records.Start a free trial

Howard Family History

Howard Name Meaning

English: from the Norman personal name Huard, Heward, composed of the Germanic elements hug ‘heart’, ‘mind’, ‘spirit’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’. English: from the Anglo-Scandinavian personal name Haward, composed of the Old Norse elements há ‘high’ + varðr ‘guardian’, ‘warden’. English: variant of Ewart 2. Irish: see Fogarty. Irish (County Clare) surname adopted as an equivalent of Gaelic Ó hÍomhair, which was formerly Anglicized as O’Hure.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Huard, Seward, Coward, Ward, Bovard, Howarth, Howald, Hoad, Herard

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Howard family from?

You can see how Howard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Howard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Howard families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 7,511 Howard families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Howard's in the UK. Lancashire had the highest population of Howard families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Howard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Howard ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Howard. 7% of Howard men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Howard women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Howard were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census data for Howard | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Howard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Howard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Howard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Howard

Passenger Lists

There are 143,000 immigration records available for the last name Howard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Howard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 301,000 military records available for the last name Howard. For the veterans among your Howard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Howard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Howard family history.

Discover More

What is the average Howard lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Howard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Howard in 1940 was 26, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Howard

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Howard family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial