Cool Cowboy Names

Maclain

Maclain is a masculine name of Scottish Gaelic origin, functioning as an Anglicized spelling variant of 'MacIain' or 'MacIan,' which literally means 'son of John.' As a surname-turned-first-name, it…

Marsh

English nature name

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.

Dodge

English, diminutive of Roger, German

"famous warrior"

This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name, honor name, on update on the still-stodgy Roger. In a recent film, Seeking a Friend for the End…

Dixon

Scottish

"son of Dick"

A relatively common surname, Dixon would be an inventive way to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick, the X form a lot livelier than the Dickson spelling, just as Dix is a more modern short form than…

Dice

Word name

Strictly for a Vegas baby.

Dez

Diminutive of Desmond

More of an abbreviation than a short form that can stand on its own.

Dex

Diminutive of Dexter

"dyer; right-handed"

Dex, the nickname for Dexter that is sometimes used on its own, has lots of energy and dynamism. It was chosen by comedian Dana Carvey for his now grown son. With the growing popularity of Dexter, we…

Mo

English diminutive of Maurice and Morris

"dark-skinned"

An exceedingly friendly every-guy nickname that could rise alongside the likes of Ike, Sid, and Ned.

Moe

English, diminutive of Moses

"delivered"

If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should…

Montana

Spanish place-name; "mountainous"

"mountainous"

Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.

Mose

German variation of Moses, Egyptian

"delivered from the water"

Mose is the German variation of Moses, a widely familiar name thanks to the character in the Old Testament. Mose is also used a nickname for Moses. Fans of the American TV series The Office will…

Destry

French

"war horse"

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…

Nat

English, diminutive of Nathan or Nathaniel

Just the kind of old-fashioned nickname coming back into style.

Navarone

Spanish, meaning unknown

Cowboy swagger via the non-cowboy flick "The Guns of Navarone," chosen by Priscilla Presley.

Oak

English tree name

"tree from the genus Quercus"

Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle. If you'd prefer to take the longer route to the…

Oakes

English

"near the oaks"

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

Des

Diminutive of Desmond

The cool clipped Des may be the part of the name wave of the future, with midcentury names like Des and Vic and Stan riding back into style on the heels of big brothers Max and Sam and Ray.

Ode

Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German

"a lyric poem; wealthy"

Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale. .

Delton

Delton is a masculine name with English origins, possibly derived from place names combining 'dell' (small valley) and 'ton' (town or settlement). It may also function as a variant of Dalton or…

Pace

Word name

Calm, straightforward, patrician sounding: Pace is one new-style name that's well-grounded. Sarah Palin has a grandson named Pace.