Names That Mean Herder

A variation on the popular Colton, Colter has been climbing up the US charts since 2010. Given to around 1000 boys each year, it is now in the Top 500, and ticks the boxes for being a cool occupational name with rugged, Wild West vibes, and for giving the familiar nickname Col, or the alternative, Colt.

We'd be leery of this one.

Two completely different images come from its national pronunciations -- BOY-err or boy-AY -- the latter giving it an effete French accent.

More common as a surname, a handful of boys get this bovine equivalent of Shepherd each year in the US. It may gain more exposure as one of the occupational names that are one of the most popular classes of English names for boys.

You're probably better off using Shepherd or Shepard on a daughter rather than trying to feminize it.