The first name Houston
A boy’s name from English meaning “hugh's town”.
Pronounced /ˈhjustən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Houston means “hugh's town” in English.
Originally from a place near Glasgow, from the Middle English equivalent of "Hugh's town". Analyzable as Hugh + -s- + -ton
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Houston last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 4 boys. It peaked in 2017, with 4 births (#3,996).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Houston with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Houston at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 402 boys born in the United States were named Houston, the 675th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2021, when 440 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Hoston
- Houstoun
- Hughesdon
Famous people named Houston
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Houston Stewart ChamberlainBritish-German racialist philosopher (1855–1927)
- Houston PersonAmerican jazz saxophonist (born 1934)
- HoustonAmerican R&B singer, born 1983
- John BrunnerBritish author (1934–1995)
- Jerami GrantAmerican basketball player (born 1994)
- Jimmie DavisAmerican singer, songwriter and 47th Governor of Louisiana (1899–2000)
- Bobo BrazilAmerican professional wrestler (1924-1998)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Houston mean?
- Houston means “hugh's town” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Houston?
- Originally from a place near Glasgow, from the Middle English equivalent of "Hugh's town". Analyzable as Hugh + -s- + -ton
- How popular is the name Houston?
- In 2024, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Houston, ranking 4,270th. Its peak was 2017, with 4 births.
- Is Houston a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 18,540 US babies named Houston since 1880 were boys.
- When was Houston most popular?
- 2021 in the United States, when 440 babies were named Houston, its highest rank at 625th.
- How do you pronounce Houston?
- Houston is /ˈhjustən/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Houston?
- Hoston, Houstoun and Hughesdon.
- Is Houston also a surname?
- Yes. Houston is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.