Houston
A boys’ name of Old English origin, meaning Hugh's settlement; place name used as given name.
Baby Names Arena rank
—
needs 5 head-to-heads
Win rate
55%
of head-to-heads
US popularity
#675
up from #702
UK popularity
—
outside the ONS list
How Houston has moved
View as table
| Year | US rank |
|---|---|
| 2015 | #850 |
| 2016 | #805 |
| 2017 | #803 |
| 2018 | #755 |
| 2019 | #687 |
| 2020 | #732 |
| 2021 | #625 |
| 2022 | #694 |
| 2023 | #689 |
| 2024 | #702 |
| 2025 | #675 |
Houston by the numbers
Houston was given to 294 American babies in 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
Its American peak was 285 babies in 2016, making it a 2010s name.
At its height, in 1900, about 1 in 4,900 American boys born that year was called Houston.
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Houston. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
- Hustonfrom Hugh's settlement; place name12 in the US (2017)
- Holston15 in the US (2017)
- Hestonbrushwood settlement; place name used as given name55 in the US (2017)
- Huxtonsettlement from Hugh's name; a form of Huston49 in the US (2017)
- Holtonwood on a promontory or hollow43 in the US (2017)
- Halstonfrom the hall stone; estate on a rocky hill34 in the US (2017)
Other names that mean a gift
Like Houston, each of these has a gift in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Matthewgift of God11,623 in the US (2017)
- Mateogift of God7,735 in the US (2017)
- Jonathanyahweh has given; god's gift6,476 in the US (2017)
- Theodoregift of God2,638 in England and Wales (2025)
- Kennedymisshapen head; an Irish surname used as given name4,277 in the US (2017)
- Peytonfrom Paega's town; an English place name used as given name4,236 in the US (2017)
Names about as common as Houston
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