where does the last name howard originate from
Howard (surname)
Howard is a common English language surname . Its origins are uncertain . One theory is that it derived from the French personal name Huard and Houard ( compare the Anglo - Norman spellings of coward for French couard ; tower for tour ) 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 ( Old Norse Hávarðr , Old Danish Hawarth , element Há ( r ) `` high '' or hǫð `` battle '' ; element varðr , meaning `` guardian '' ) . The first public record of the surname is dated 1221 in Cambridgeshire . There are several variant surname spellings . 
Howard is a common English language surname . Its origins are uncertain . One theory is that it derived from the French personal name Huard and Houard ( compare the Anglo - Norman spellings of coward for French couard ; tower for tour ) 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 ( Old Norse Hávarðr , Old Danish Hawarth , element Há ( r ) `` high '' or hǫð `` battle '' ; element varðr , meaning `` guardian '' ) . The first public record of the surname is dated 1221 in Cambridgeshire . There are several variant surname spellings .
Howard - the name's origins are uncertain. There are several variant surname spellings.
Its origins are uncertain . There are several variant surname spellings .
Howard - the name's origins are uncertain. Theories are that it derived from the French Huard, the Germanic Hughhard or the Scandinavian Haward.
Its origins are uncertain . One theory is that it derived from the French personal name Huard and Houard ( compare the Anglo - Norman spellings of coward for French couard ; tower for tour ) 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 ( Old Norse Hávarðr , Old Danish Hawarth , element Há ( r ) `` high '' or hǫð `` battle '' ; element varðr , meaning `` guardian '' ) .