Houston
Scottish surname from a place near Glasgow, meaning Hugh's settlement. The Texas city carries the name of Sam Houston.
Houston in 2025
Houston was given to 413 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,343rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 8,027 babies born.
The history of Houston
Houston reached its highest point in 2021, when 469 babies were given the name, ranking 1,222nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 784th, in 1886.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 18,540 babies have been named Houston. Half of them were born before 1992, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Houston by decade
| Decade | Babies named Houston | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 162 | 784 |
| 1890s | 185 | 921 |
| 1900s | 305 | 867 |
| 1910s | 1,117 | 958 |
| 1920s | 1,579 | 993 |
| 1930s | 1,097 | 1,041 |
| 1940s | 1,093 | 1,108 |
| 1950s | 839 | 1,566 |
| 1960s | 634 | 1,976 |
| 1970s | 482 | 2,518 |
| 1980s | 1,191 | 1,565 |
| 1990s | 2,421 | 1,324 |
| 2000s | 2,278 | 1,691 |
| 2010s | 2,723 | 1,377 |
| 2020s | 2,434 | 1,222 |
Where Houston is heading
Houston has risen 49% over the past decade, from 278 babies in 2015 to 413 in 2025.
Names like Houston
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Houston.