where does the last name howard come from
Howard (surname) 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.[1]
Hoffman Hoffmann or Hofmann is a surname of German origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward, i.e. one who manages the property of another". In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name is also spelt Hoffman, Hofman, Huffman, Gofman or Hofmans.