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Howard is an English patronymic name from the Norman given name Huard and  Heward, which came from the elements
 hug = heart, mind + hard = hardy, brave.
 and from an Old Norse name Haward, from elements
 ha = high + varðr = guardian.
 Heward, Hewart, Huart are variations of the Norman form. Haward is a variation  of the Norse.

Some Excerpts from around the Internet:
 Lord William Howard, First Baron Howard of Effingham, eldest son of Thomas,  Second Duke of Norfolk, by Agnes his second Duchess in 1510, having been  employed by Henry VIII, and Edward VI in numerous confidential missions to  foreign courts, was elevated to the Peerage in the first year of the reign of  Queen Mary, in March 1554, as Baron Howard of Effinghame, Surrey, and was  constituted upon the 20th of the same month as Lord-High-Admiral of Her  Majesty's Dominions. His Lordship was installed as a Knight of the Garter in  December of the same year. Lord Howard of Effingham in the Reign of Elizabeth,  held the office of Lord Chamberlain to the Household, and afterwards that of  lord-Privy-Seal.
 The surname Howard has been worn by many distinguished bearers, although none  more so than the aforementioned. It appears to derive from the Old Germainic  name "Hugihard", denoting one strong of heart, or very brave. This first name  has given rise to several other patronymic surnames other than Howard,  including Huart, Heward, Hewart, etc., although another Germain term "howart",  denoting "high chief", or "warden, could also have been the origin of Howard.  Among the earliest written references we read of Huardus Houart in the  Domesday Book in 1086, and one called Willelmus filius Huward was mentioned in  the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland in 1170. In Ireland the name does duty for  O'Hiomhair in county Clare, where it was formerly O'Hure.