Given name & surname · also Gaelic, American
Houston
“from the city in Texas”·“from Hugh's town”·“from the town on the hill”
Houston is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the city in Texas”, “from Hugh's town”, and “from the town on the hill”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the city in Texas”, “from Hugh's town”, and “from the town on the hill”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with American and English naming traditions.
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
Houston through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,540
- 18,104 boys · 436 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 469 babies
- 2025
- 413
- #675 for boys · #9,092 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 402 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 675 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 11 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (32). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,835 as a first name in 2020; 55,138 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.
Houston’s family of names
Houston has a related form in Huston. Houston has a related form in Hewston. Houston has a related form in Houstan.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 20
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 Houston
- Houston Stewart ChamberlainBritish-German racialist philosopher (1855–1927)
- Jerami GrantAmerican basketball player (born 1994)
- Bobo BrazilAmerican professional wrestler (1924-1998)
- Houston PersonAmerican jazz saxophonist (born 1934)
- HoustonAmerican R&B singerborn 1983
- Houston StackhouseAmerican Delta blues guitarist and singer (1910-1980)
- Houston ConwillAmerican artist (1947–2016)
- Houston AlexanderAmerican martial artistborn 1972
- Houston A. Baker Jr.English literature scholarborn 1943
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Houston, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Memphis
“from the city in Tennessee”
79% boys · 21% girls
Texas
“a beloved friend” · “from the state of Texas”
86% boys · 14% girls
Maverick
“one who is wild and free” · “an independent man; a nonconformist”
99% boys · 1% girls
Dustin
“from the dusty area” · “a courageous warrior”
>99% boys
Delaware
“from the state of Delaware”
79% boys · 21% girls
Wyatt
“having the strength of a warrior”
99% boys · 1% girls
Alexzander
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Austin
“one who is venerable; majestic” · “venerable; majestic”
97% boys · 3% girls