NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Howie

A diminutive form of Howard, meaning "high guard" or "brave heart".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Howie is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Howie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 13 births.

This profile covers 175 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 62% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 203 living people in the UK are called Howie. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Howie ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 13 boys were registered as Howie.
  • Howie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.
  • About 203 living people in the UK are estimated to have Howie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2671

2024

Births in 2024

8

Latest year

Peak year

2023

13 births

Estimated living

203

2026

Meaning

What does Howie mean?

The name Howie is an English diminutive form of the name Howard, which has its origins in the Old English word "hord" meaning "hoard" or "stockpile." The name Howard was first used as a surname and later adopted as a given name.

The name Howie gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the United States and Canada. It was often used as a nickname for people named Howard, but also became a standalone given name in its own right.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Howie can be found in the 1881 census records of England and Wales, where a few instances of the name were documented. However, it was not until the early 20th century that the name gained wider usage.

In terms of historical figures with the name Howie, one notable person was Howie Morenz (1902-1937), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is considered one of the greatest players of his era. Morenz played for the Montreal Canadiens and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945.

Another famous Howie was Howie Kendrick (born 1983), an American professional baseball player who played for several teams, including the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Nationals. Kendrick was part of the Nationals team that won the 2019 World Series.

In the world of entertainment, Howie Mandel (born 1955) is a well-known Canadian comedian, actor, and television host. He has been a judge on the reality competition show "America's Got Talent" since 2010.

Howie Epstein (1955-2003) was an American bassist and singer-songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Epics. He was known for his talented bass playing and songwriting contributions.

Howie Carr (born 1952) is an American journalist and author who is best known for his work as a radio talk show host in Boston, Massachusetts. He has also written several books, including "The Brothers Bulger," about the infamous Boston crime family.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Howie. While it may have originated as a diminutive form of Howard, Howie has established itself as a distinct and recognizable name in its own right.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Howie over time

The chart below shows babies named Howie registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Howie, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 13 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Howie
0371013200320132024

Decades

Howie by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Howie was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2396 45 5
2010s #2591 85 10
2000s #2766 45 7

Geography

Where Howie is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Howie. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Howie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Howie in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#590 in 2022

7 years of NRS records, 29 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Howie

  • Howie Payne

    guitarist; singer-songwriter

    English musician

    1970-

  • Howie Casey

    saxophonist

    British musician

    1937-

Related

Names similar to Howie

FAQ

Howie: questions and answers

How popular is the name Howie in the UK right now?

In 2024, Howie was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.

When was Howie most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 13 babies registered as Howie in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Howie?

A diminutive form of Howard, meaning "high guard" or "brave heart".

How many people are called Howie in the UK?

A total of 175 babies have been registered as Howie across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 29 more in Scotland.

Where is Howie most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Howie ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #590 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.