English
Howard
Howard comes from Middle English Howard, and goes back to Old Norse Hávarðr.
- Old Norsec. 800–1350Hávarðrnext step skipped: Old French Huard
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Howard
- Englishearliest quotation 1675same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Norsec. 800–1350Hávarðrnext step skipped: Old French Huard
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Howard
- Englishearliest quotation 1675same form
Earliest quotation: 1675, Edward Phillips, Egerton Brydges: “Henry Howard, the most noble Earl of Surry, who…”
A compound of hár ‘high’ + varðr ‘guard’
Proto-Indo-European *kewk- ‘to elevate’
Proto-Indo-European *kówk-o-s
Proto-Germanic *hauhaz ‘high’
Old Norse hár ‘high’
The story
In some cases a variant of Heward, from Old French Huard.
Every English word from Old Norse Hávarðr
Today it means
name A surname originating as a patronymic.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Norse Hávarðr / Howard