Given name & surname
Boston
Boston is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the town near the forest; from the city of Boston.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the town near the forest; from the city of Boston.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Boston developed from Botwulf.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Boston through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 11,944
- 10,901 boys · 1,043 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 562 babies
- 2025
- 505
- #620 for boys · #3,037 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 90% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 451 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 620 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 497 in 2014. It also appeared in 54 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Utah had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (45). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,054 as a first name in 2020; 15,314 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Boston’s family of names
In English usage, Boston developed from the Old English form Botwulf. Boston has a related form in Bostan. Boston has a related form in Bosten.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Boston
- Boston CorbettUnion Army sergeant1832–1894
- Boston CusterBrother of George Armstrong Custer1848–1876
- Boston ScottAmerican football running backborn 1995
- Boston SimbeyeMalawian boxer (* 1959)
- Boston Mwanzaassociation football playerborn 1977
Characters named Boston: Deadman (DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Boston, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bentley
“from the meadow of bent grass”
95% boys · 5% girls
Ashton
“from the ash-tree town”
95% boys · 5% girls
Locke
“man of the forest” · “from the fortress”
>99% boys
Hudson
“one who is adventurous; an explorer” · “the son of Hugh; from the river”
99% boys · 1% girls
Jett
“resembling the jet-black lustrous gemstone”
98% boys · 2% girls
Woods
“a woman of the forest” · “a man of the forest”
98% boys · 2% girls
Crompton
“river bend”
—
Hazleton
“from the hazel-tree town”
>99% boys