The Style of Baby Names That Are Surging in Popularity

We saw it beginning with Yellowstone, but in the age of Cowboy Carter and Jelly Roll, it's only gotten more prominent: Country baby names are on the rise. As someone who follows trends for baby boy names and trends for baby girl names, I can attest that we are at peak cowboy name.

And while, in the past, parents were content to choose a name like Wyatt or Emmett, now they're going all out. "The latest iteration of Western and cowboy names are what we’re calling Country Rebrand Names," says Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of the baby-naming site Nameberry, which was one of the first to spot the trend of cowboy names."Country rebrand names are more diverse than the traditional set of Western names, which include many last names as first names and place names. Today’s cowboy names include Latin American choices such as Santos and Navarone, outlaw names like Jessejames, and names that used to feel too country-fried for the birth certificate, including Polly, Loretta and Mabel for girls, and Abner, Enoch and Harlan for boys." Pull on your boots, break out the 10-gallon hat, and try these baby names on for size.

Most Popular Cowboy Names

The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps track of the most popular baby names each year for boys and for girls, and these Western names all made it into the top 100.

Boy Names

1. Levi (No. 12)

2. Elias (No. 35)

3. Maverick (No. 37)

4. Santiago (No. 45)

5. Wyatt (No. 47)

6. Carter (No. 48)

7. Waylon (No. 62)

8. Brooks (No. 73)

9. Beau (No. 79)

10. Silas (No. 81)

Girl Names

1. Abigail (No. 31)

2. Ella (No. 32)

3. Hannah (No. 48)

4. Madelyn/Maddie (No. 58)

5. Josephine (No. 64)

6. Ruby (No. 66)

7. Anna (No. 79)

8. Quinn (No. 85)

9. Savannah (No. 92)

10. Clara (No. 99)

Baby Names Inspired By Country Musicians

Great name inspiration can be found every time country radio is on.

Boy Names

1. Blake

2. Conway

3. Garth

4. Johnny

5. Merle

6. Randy

7. Roy

8. Toby

9. Willie

Girl Names

1. Bonnie

2. Brenda

3. Dolly

4. Emmylou

5. June

6. Kitty

7. Loretta

8. Patsy

9. Reba

Baby Names Inspired by Western Places

Look at the map, and go west (and south)! There, lots of city and state names can be repurposed as baby names — many of which are gender-neutral names, which is another current trend.

Boy Names

1. Austin

2. Dallas

3. Carson

4. Cody

5. Denver

6. Eugene

7. Houston

8. Jackson

9. Montgomery

10. Rio

Girl Names

1. Abilene

2. Augusta

3. Cheyenne

4. Dakota

5. Montana

6. Phoenix

7. Raleigh

8. Shiloh

9. Sierra

10. Tempe

Trendy Country Baby Names

These names may not have cracked the SSA top 100 yet, but they're faves among parents all the same.

Boy Names

1. Dutton

2. Jethro

3. Hiram

4. Huck

5. Otis

6. Royal

7. Sawyer

8. Tate

9. Truett

10. West

Girl Names

1. Ada

2. Aggie

3. Billie

4. Millie

5. Oakley

6. Pearl

7. River

8. Ryan

9. Scout

10. Willa

More Western Names to Consider

Still looking for country inspiration? Check out these names.

1. Ames

2. Annie

3. Boone

4. Cole

5. Dixie

6. Dottie

7. Dylan

8. Ford

9. Lulu

10. Mae

11. Nash

12. Nellie

13. Opal

14. Polly

15. Remington

16. Roscoe

17. Shane

18. Sutton

19. Wayne

20. Winona

For even more baby-name inspiration, check out these Good Housekeeping lists: Nature Baby Names | Disney Baby Names | Indian/Hindu Boy Names | Indian/Hindu Girl Names | Italian Baby Names | Japanese Baby Names | French Baby Names | Hispanic Boy Names | Hispanic Girl Names | Irish Boy Names | Irish Girl Names | Long Names for Boys | Long Names for Girls | Short Names for Boys | Short Names for Girls | Gender-Neutral Names | 1920s Names | 1930s Names | 1940s Names

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