Houston

Houston - A very unique male name

Houston appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #325. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Houston and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Houston? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Houston. The baby boy name Houston was given to 352 baby boys in 2025, ranking #688 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 4,166 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Houston peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 325.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Houston, 1-5?

Houston is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Houston is currently topping the baby name charts in Alabama at position #242 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,325.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Houston is where you live.

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Houston origin and meaning

Place name — Houston, Texas; earlier a surname

A transferred place and surname name; the city was named for Sam Houston, and the Scottish surname Houston is usually read as 'Hugh's town'

Houston has been used as a boy's name since 1910, but its recent peak in 2021 tracks the fashion for Texas place names. It has risen since 2020.

Attested etymology

Houston is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Houston, pop culture references for the name Houston and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Houston

We've found the following names that sound similar to Houston, sorted by popularity.

Huston / Heston / Huxton / Hesston /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Houston

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Houston a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Houston?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HYOO-stun · /ˈhjuːstən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Place nameSurname

Why parents choose it

Houston is a big-sky Texas pick — a city name with Western scale, chosen by parents who like Austin and Dallas but want something rarer.

Worth knowing

• The city is the whole association, plus Whitney Houston — for whom Houston was a surname