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Howard Family History

Howard Surname Meaning

English: of Norman origin from the Middle English personal names Huward (also Howard) and Heward from Old French Huard (itself from ancient Germanic Hugihard hugi- ‘mind understanding spirit’ + hard- ‘hardy bold’). As Hugh appears in Middle English as both How and Hew this is the definite origin of Heward and a source of Howard. This surname is also very common among African Americans. See Hugh . English: from the Middle English personal name Haward or Howard usually an Anglicized form of Old Danish Hāwarth (Old Norse Hávarthr from há ‘high’ + varthr ‘guard guardian warden’). Alternation between Haward and Howard may have led to later confusion with Hayward . English: occasionally a variant of Ewart Irish: variant of Fogarty from Ó hÓghairt a shortened form of Ó hÓgartaigh a name derived from a lenited form of Ó Fógartaigh. Irish: variant of Ivers from Ó hÍomhair which was also Anglicized as O'Hure and Hever. Compare McIver .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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

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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 USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 536 Howard families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Howard's in USA. New York had the highest population of Howard families in 1840.
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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Howard ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Howard. 18% of Howard men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Howard women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Howard were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

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 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
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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.

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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 USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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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.

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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

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