Howard

Howard is an English surname adapted as a given name, with debated origins most likely tracing to the Old Norse elements hávarðr, combining hár, meaning high, and varðr, meaning guardian or watchman. Some scholars alternatively derive it from the Old English personal name Hereweard, meaning army guard, while others connect it to a Norman occupational term for a ewe herder. The name gained prestige through the powerful English ducal family of Howard, which rose to prominence in the late medieval period. Related forms include the Scandinavian Håvard and the Old English Hereward.