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Cool Cowboy Names

  1. Ward

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "guard, watchman"

    • Description:

      Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.
  2. Wylie

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "from Wylye"

    • Description:

      Wylie is a friendly, nonchalant rodeo name with an almost irresistible charm; parents may pick up on its pleasant similarity to the more popular, unisex Riley. Although more masculine, we see Wylie as working as well for boys and girls (Richard Anderson used it for his daughter in 1999). Wylie (or the interchangeable Wiley) can also be an original and authentic way to honor an ancestral William. We don't, however, recommend you spell the name the way Corey Parker did: Wylei. Why lay?
  3. Brent

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the burnt land"

    • Description:

      One of several blunt B names just this side of the gender divide. While its short and to-the-point sound may feel modern, it has been declining steadily since the 1980s.
  4. Bridger

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "lives near the bridge"

    • Description:

      A recent addition to the Most Popular list, Bridger has the trendy two-syllables and 'er' ending, and a historical reference to Jim Bridger, a foremost nineteenth-century frontiersman, explorer, trapper, scout, and teller of tall tales.
  5. Deacon

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "messenger, servant"

    • Description:

      This name was transposed from the word for a church officer to a baby name when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe chose it for their son, after a baseball player ancestor, and Don Johnson followed suit. Its popularity also got a boost from Nashville character Deacon Claybourne -- only to fall a bit in recent years.
  6. Cas

    • Origin:

      Short form of Casper, Persian

    • Meaning:

      "Imperial"

    • Description:

      This short-but-strong name is popular for boys in The Netherlands. While Cass is usually a female name in the U.S., it feels just as right for boys.
  7. Acer

    • Origin:

      Botanical name from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "maple"

    • Description:

      Acer is the Latin botanical name for the Maple tree. Where Maple feels quite feminine, Acer is a more masculine way to reference this tree.
  8. Joe

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Joseph

    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"

    • Description:

      Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden).
  9. Dash

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Dashiell, meaning unknown

    • Description:

      Dash is a nickname that can stand on its own and sounds, well, dashing. Connected these days with Kardashian enterprises.
  10. Bucky

    • Description:

      Bucky is a masculine diminutive nickname that typically derives from names like Buchanan, Buck, or sometimes William/Bill. With American roots, it carries a friendly, approachable quality with a touch of nostalgia. The name evokes a down-to-earth, all-American charm and has occasionally gained visibility through fictional characters like Bucky Barnes in Marvel comics and films. Though relatively uncommon as a formal given name, it maintains popularity as an affectionate nickname, particularly in the southern United States. The name has a youthful, endearing quality that sometimes follows individuals into adulthood, conveying a sense of approachability and warmth. Its informal nature gives it a distinctive casual character compared to more formal masculine names.

  11. Clint

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Clinton

    • Description:

      As flinty and steely as Mr. Eastwood.
  12. Memphis

    • Origin:

      Greek and Coptic place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Enduring and beautiful"

    • Description:

      A place name with plenty of history, Memphis is associated with the place in Ancient Egypt where many of the pyramids were built, and with the bluesy US city that was named after it. With its lovely meaning and cool, musical vibe, it is currently in the US Top 500 names for boys.

      Deriving from the Greek form of the Egyptian name Men-nefer, Memphis has been notably borne by rapper Memphis Bleek and by Dutch footballer, known mononymously as Memphis (who likely inspired its brief appearance in The Netherlands Top 1000 in 2015). In the US, it is a unisex name, however, it is used three times more often for boys, with 484 receiving the name in 2024.
  13. Oakes

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "near the oaks"

    • Description:

      One part nature name, one part surname name. Oakes gives you the best of both worlds.
  14. Macklin

    • Origin:

      Variation of Maclaine, MacLean, or MacLaughlin, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "son of servant of Saint John; son of Lachlann"

    • Description:

      Borrowed from several Scottish surnames Macklin feels more wearable as a first name: a cool and current way to nickname Mack.
  15. Holston

    • Origin:

      Place name, American variation of Holstein, German

    • Meaning:

      "dwellers in the wood"

    • Description:

      Holston is a uniquely Southern place name — that of a river, lake, and mountain in Tennessee, as well as a town in Virginia. Holston was first used for the river, previously called the Cherokee River. It was adapted from the surname of pioneer Stephen Holstein, who resided alongside the river. Holstein was the name of a Saxon tribe and is now a region in Germany.
  16. Tanner

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "leather tanner"

    • Description:

      One of the hot two-syllable T names of the nineties (along with Tyler, Trevor, and Taylor), and well represented on soap operas; Tanner is still widely used, but its popularity is declining.
  17. Raylan

    • Origin:

      Modern invented name

    • Description:

      Raylan, one of an uncountable number of two syllable, surname-like boys’ names end in n that are in style these days, is inspired by Raylan Givens, the cowboy hat-wearing U.S. Marshall created by writer Elmore Leonard and starring in the television series Justified. The Ray part of the name is of course a traditional choice -- it's usually said to mean "wise" -- but the lan takes it out of Old School Raymond territory. Other variations include Raylen, Raylon, Rayden and so on. The name is also sometimes given to girls, but not nearly as often as it is for boys.
  18. Keaton

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "place of hawks; river town; Káti's town"

    • Description:

      Keaton is an engaging surname with warmth, energy and a sense of humor, identified with silent comedian Buster Keaton and contemporary actors Michael and Diane Keaton. Given to around 290 boys in a recent year, it currently sits within the latter end of the US Top 1000.
  19. Dutton

    • Origin:

      English surname

    • Meaning:

      "hill settlement; Dodd's town"

    • Description:

      The newest cowboy-cool kid on the block is Dutton, introduced by the hit Western drama series Yellowstone. It's seen as a surname in the series, which follows the Dutton family on their ranch. But Americans' affinity towards surname names and the similarities to Sutton have inspired fans of the show to use Dutton for their sons — so much so that Dutton took the title as the fastest-rising name in 2022, jumping a whopping 986 spots.
  20. Coy

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "shy, taciturn"

    • Description:

      Though rarely heard now, Coy has been around for a century and was not an uncommon name a hundred years ago. There have been a couple of NFL players named Coy, Coy Bowles is in the Zac Brown band, and of course there was Coy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard. Due to the flirty connotations of the word "coy", McCoy is a more popular and recommended choice today.