Cool Cowboy Names

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.

Whether pronounced like the wag of a tail or as the correct German VAHG-ner, this might be something a devoted opera buff could consider as a middle name.

Riles is the coolest surname name that nobody's using. Seriously nobody — Riles (and the older version of the name, Ryles) have never been given to more than five American baby boys in a single year. But we're hoping to put Riles on the map. Its similarities to trendy names like Riley and Miles make it a great option if you're looking for a name that fits in but stands out.

While still rare, this compound name for boys jumped nearly 3000 places in rank last year, perhaps thanks to its cowboy-core vibe and its bad boy image.

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.

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

Si is an intriguing antique nickname for Simon and Silas, and we’ve also heard it as a short form of names that contain the "sigh" sound, like Josiah and Osiris.

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.

Chord may be considered a variation of the cowboy-cool name Cord, or an independent musical name. Actor Chord Overstreet, of Glee fame, introduced this name to many American parents.