Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard from a Germanic source similar to Old High German *Hugihard "heart-brave", or *Hoh-ward, literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probably in some cases a confusion with the Old Norse cognate Haward (Hávarðr), which means "high guard", and as a surname also with the unrelated Hayward. In some rare cases it is from the Old English eowu hierde "ewe herd". In Anglo-Norman the French digram -ou- was often rendered as -ow- such as tour → tower, flour → flower, etc.. A diminutive is "Howie" and its shortened form is "Ward". Between 1900 and 1960, Howard has ranked in the U.S. Top 200; between 1960 and 1990, it ranked in the U.S. Top 400; between 1990 and 2004, it ranked in the U.S. Top 600. People with the given name Howard or its variants include:
Mike is a masculine given name. It is also encountered as a short form of Michael. Notable people with the name include:
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence, Terrance or Terrier (masculine).
Patrick is a male given name of Latin origin. It is derived from the Roman name Patricius.
Archer is a surname in the English language.
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Jackie or Jacky is a given name or nickname for both males and females, originally a pet form of Jack, John, Jacques, Jacqueline, etc.
Brian is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name יוֹחָנָן and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename Iain. This name is a popular name in Scotland, where it originated, as well as in other English-speaking countries.
Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish Gaelic origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the late 20th century it has been used as an occasional feminine name particularly in the United States.
Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "oak tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from the Gaelic surname meaning "great", but is also linked to a Welsh mountain named Moel Darren. It is also believed to be a variant of Darrell, which originated from the French surname D'Airelle, meaning "of Airelle". The common spelling of Darren is found in the Welsh language, meaning "edge": Black Darren and Red Darren are found on the eastern side of the Hatterrall Ridge, west of Long Town. In New Zealand, the Darran Mountains are in the south of the country.
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr.
Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.
Dylan is a given name and surname of Welsh origin. It means "son of the sea” or "born from the ocean". Dylan ail Don was a character in Welsh mythology, but the popularity of Dylan as a given name in modern times arises from the poet Dylan Thomas. In Wales, it was the most popular Welsh name given to boys in 2010.
Shepherd is a surname, cognate of the English word "Shepherd". Several common spelling variations exist, including Shepperd, Shephard, Shepard, and Sheppard.
Riley is a transferred use of an English surname derived from Old English ryge ‘rye’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
Ellie, or Elly, is a given name, usually feminine. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Eleanor, Elizabeth, or Elvira. It can also be a short form of Elaine, Elena, Eliora / Eliorah, Michelle, Elnaz, Amelia, Elham, Elaheh, Eliana, Eloise, Emelia, Elisa, Ellisha, Elisha, Elesha, Shelly, Eleni, or Petronella and as a masculine name of Eleazer, Elliot, Elron, or Elston. In Greek mythology, Ellie (Helle) was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele; sister of Phrixus.
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος. The constituent parts are Χριστός (Christós), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρειν (phérein), "to bear"; hence the "Christ-bearer".
Doug is a male personal name. It is sometimes a given name, but more often it is a hypocorism which takes the place of a given name, usually Douglas. Notable people with the name include:
