Cool Cowboy Names

Down-to-earth surname name with a drawl, also associated with cereal and dog food.

This inventive spelling is part cowboy and part Kardashian.

Sounds a bit like a nickname in a Dickens novel, but this short form was used in New England a few centuries ago, back when names like Micajah were popular. Both short and long forms are now ripe for revival.

Rugged, rustic Wrangler evokes cowboy charm, bootcut denim, and SUVs.

A fresher, less preppy alternative to Thatcher — one without Prime Minister associations.

This cowboy-ish surname has an equine connection — Larimer originally denoted someone who made and sold spur bits, along with other hardware needed for riding horses.

Clint with a glint; used for flinty characters in old TV westerns and soap operas.

More familiar now via its Salman form, thanks to author Rushdie; this is an unusual biblical alternative.

Whitten is a stylish patronymic surname derived from Witt and Witte — German and Dutch nicknames-turned-surnames describing people with white-blonde hair or a pale complexion. Cool-guy nickname Whit only adds to the appeal.

This US state name has been rising slowly but steadily for girls over the last 30 years, but à la Dakota, it could easily be a male name too.

Retro nickname for Charles that has the potential for revival, a la Hal, Ike, and Gus.

Cowboyish occupational name sure to attract notice.

Lucchese is a luxury cowboy boot company that was founded in San Antonio by the Lucchese brothers. The Luccheses were Sicilian immigrants, but their surname originally denoted someone from Lucca, a Tuscan city.

Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice.

Chapman is derived from céapmann, an Old English occupational name for a merchant or marketman. The slang word "chap" came from chapman — which was also used as a term for a customer in 17th and 18th century England.

We've seen babies with Texas city names like Austin, Houston and Dallas--, why not the unexplored Laredo, which has a lot of cowboy charisma? Laredo might make for a more modern and creative namesake for an Uncle Lawrence/Larry--as could the related Laramie.

Could be difficult to grasp: Hoss. The "Bonanza" cowboy.

Any name that combines two big trends -- in this case, occupational and western names -- has potential.