There are two distinct origins of the surname Howard, one official, the other baptismal; one representing the once familiar office of Hayward (which see), the other representing the still earlier personal name Hereward. Both of these names, totally distinct in origin, had a determined bias towards the form Howard, and in time reached it. The hogward theory needs no arguments to refute it. But I may say in passing that our Hoggarts are the natural descendants of the hog- herd, for that and not hog-ward was his name. I will first deal with the official name. (1) Official, 'the hayward,' i.e. the custodian of the fences, from hay or haw, a hedge, and ward, a guardian.

Elwin le Heyvard, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.Stolen from Fore bears

Alice le Heyward, Huntingdonshire, ibid.

Geoffrey le Hayward, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Piers le Hawarde. Rolls of Parliament.

'Thomas Hawarde, and his brother Henry Haiwarde,' 1568: Register of the University of Oxford.

William Heyward or Howard, sheriff of Norwich, 1657: History of Norfolk.

'Edward Howard, or Heyward's gift to this parish': St. Swithin's Ch., Norwich: ibid.

It is clear that if Hayward was also pronounced Haward, the further step to Howard would be inevitable. I do not think, however, that more than a small proportion of our Howards are thus sprung, as Hayward became the settled form in nomenclature and is so found in all our directories. (2) Bapt. 'the son of Heward.' The different stages of this personal name seem to have been Hereward, Harward, Haward or Heward, and Howard. It is commonly found in the lath, 13th, and 14th centuries, and had become a surname when the Hundred Rolls were compiled. Most of our Howards are unquestionable descendants of the personal name.

Hewardus dil Per, Suffolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Hewerard Ban, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Heward de Horewelle, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Hewerad Samar, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

John Hewerard, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Heward Morpeth, rector of Skeyton, Norfolk, 1554: History of Norfolk.

Adam fil. Heward. Placitorum in domo capitulari Westmonasteriensi.

William Howard. Placitorum in domo capitulari Westmonasteriensi.

John Fitz-howard, Yorkshire Testamenta Eboracensia (Surtees Society).

Roper Harwarde, or Hawerde, 1539: Register of the University of Oxford.

'Item, to Heyward Skynner, cs.' 1503: Privy Purse Exp., Elizabeth 1 York.

The evidence given above is absolutely conclusive. Hewerard was the same as Heward, and Heward as Howard. The case of Heyward Skynner is curious, as it has got confounded with the occupative or official Hayward. It is interesting to notice that the 'Norfolk Howards' are found as Haward, one more link of importance.

'Item, to my Lord Haward' 1503: Privy Purse Exp., Elizabeth of York.

Another connexion seems to be found in the following:

1565-6- Henry Hawarde, Esq., son of Sir Thomas Hawarde, Viscount Bindon, and Frances Mewtys: Marriage Lic (London).

A note says, 'Succeeded in 1582 as Viscount Howard, of Bindon.' I leave to genealogists the task of deciding whether the Duke of Norfolk's name belongs to (1) or (a). I should say (2), and make him a direct descendant of Hereward the Wake. I dare say his Grace would offer no objections. It is the double origin, of course, that has made Howard so familiar a surname throughout England.

(Teutonic) 1 High or Chief Warden or Guardian [Old Norse Háuarð-r = Old English Heáhw(e)ard - Old Norse há-r = Old English heáh = Old Saxon O.H.Ger, hóh, high, &c. + Old Norse uarð-r, uörð-r = Old English w(e)ard = Old Saxon ward = O.H.Ger. wart, warden] The Domesday forms are Howard and Haward. The modern Norwegian form is Haavard (aa as aw); also, acc. to Paulsen's ‘Fortegnelse over 400 Norske Personnavne,’ Haavar, Haaver.

2 Haw-Warden [v. Hawe, and + Middle English Old English ward] Piers le Hawarde.—Rolls of Parl.

Cp. Hayward.

This famous English name does duty for Ó hIomhair in Clare where it was formerly O’Hure. MIF 147

“High Warden” in Old German. See also Hay­ward. Also from Hygehard - see Hugh.

(English) Descendant of Howard (keeper of the swords); a corruption of Hayward, q.v.

That this is but another version of Hayward “The popular notion that ‘Howard’ is nothing but ‘Hogward’ is not borne out by facts. We find no trace whatever of its gradual reduction into such a corrupt form. It is our ‘Hoggarts’ who thus maintain the honours of our swine-tending ancestors.” - Ibid. is obvious from the inscription round the effigy of the founder of the great house of Howard in Long Melford Church - “Praye for the good state of William Haward, Chef Justis of Ynglonde.”

Blomfield further informs us that he was “the son of John, the eldest son of William de Wiggenshall, who took the sir-name of Heyward, Hauuard, or Howard; and was the first of this Family of that Sir-name, which, as I take it, he took from the office of Heyward there.” - History of Norfolk.

But if these kindred names are alike in origin, their history has been entirely different. While one of them has remained altogether without illustration, the other has been borne to the front by the noblest of the land. A long series of splendid alliances, each carrying with it the representation of some historic Norman name, has added trophy after trophy to their armorial shield, till “all the blood of all the Howards”has become the proverbial type and boast of English aristocracy. On the roll of parliament the head of the house, as Premier Duke, stands far in advance of his peers, his title having been conferred sixty-four years before that of the Duke of Somerset, the next in rank; and one of his Earldoms - held by tenure of the castle of Arundel - dates from 1139. His ancestral coat-of-arms rests on the crossed truncheons that denote his hereditary dignity of Earl Marshal of England - one of the two great feudal offices that now alone survive; and on its silver bend “The ruddy lion ramps in gold”

in memory of Lord Surrey’s victory at Flodden. Twenty-two Howards have been installed Knights of the Garter: they have received in all eleven Earldoms; and one of them had the perilous honour of sharing the throne of Henry VIII.

Both these names must have been added by the monks.

This noble historical name has been a sore puzzle to etymologists. See English Surn. i. 133. A writer in the Quarterly Rev. vol. CII. says, the family "may be Saxon, may be Danish." They are more probably of Norwegian origin. Havard or Haavard was a common personal name among the Northmen. "It appears," says Laing, "to be the English name Howard, and left by them in Northumberland and East Anglia." Heimskringla. vol. i. p. 410. The seventeenth-century genealogists laboured hard to prove a Norman origin for this illustrious race, but authentic records extend back no farther than the XIII. cent., when the Howards rose into eminence in Norfolk; (See Peerage,) though Houardus, the Essex under-tenant of Domesday may be cited on that side.

William, son of Roger Fitz Valevine, took the name of Howard from being born in the Castle of Howard, in Wales, in the time of Henry L Spelman derives Howard from Hof—ward, the keeper of a hall; Vestegan, from Hold—ward, the keeper of a stronghold; Camden, from Hoch—ward, the high keeper.

Howard. —This name has its principal home in the eastern counties south of the Humber, being best represented in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Notts. It has another home in Lancashire, Cheshire, and adjacent counties. There is considerable difference of opinion concerning its origin. Lower and Ferguson consider it as of Norwegian origin, Havard or Haavard having been a common personal name amongst the Northmen. Bardsley similarly thinks that it is a corruption of Harvard or Hereward. Laing, as quoted by Lower, also regards the name as left by the Northmen in East Anglia and Northumberland. The explanation given by Taylor in his "Words and Places," is less romantic. He regards Howard as, like Hayward, a corruption of Hogwarden, the title of the officer in charge of the swine in the common forest pastures or "dens." The Howards, according to Taylor, first came to notice in the Weald (Kent and Sussex), though we also know that they existed in Norfolk before the thirteenth century, when they first rose to eminence. Camden, the most important witness of all, places Howard amongst the names in use in England at the time of the Conquest. In all probability this name has had more than one origin. Its derivation from Hogwarden appears a little far - fetched; but it seems very likely that in a few localities it is a corruption of Hayward, a south country name, though whether Hayward is derived from Hogwarden is quite another question, concerning which I express my doubts, there being a more probable explanation in the very sound of the word. Howard and Hayward are not often associated, but it is especially noticeable that in Suffolk, where both names are frequent, the intermediate form of Haward occurs. The establishment of the Howards in the east coast counties and in their vicinity makes it probable that, as suggested by Ferguson, Lower, Bardsley, and Laing, they may be in most cases, in that part of England, the representatives of the ancient Havards, Harvards, and Haavards, of the Northmen. The Howards of Lancashire and Cheshire have had probably a different origin, it being singular that Haworth, Howarth, and Howorth, are also Lancashire names, being, in fact, almost confined to that county, where they are very numerous. The explanation of the origin of the Lancashire Howards will have to include that of the Lancashire Haworths, Howarths, and Howorths.