Is Houston a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Houston is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Houston?

It’s currently ranked #577 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

How do you pronounce Houston?

HYOO-stən · IPA: //ˈhjuːstən//

Houston Unisex

Popularity: #577 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationHYOO-stən / /ˈhjuːstən/

English; Scottish

Meaning

English: 'Hugh's town'; Scottish: 'from Hugh's estate'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Houston is derived from a surname that originated in Scotland. It is associated with various places named Houston in Scotland, particularly in Renfrewshire. The name gained popularity in the United States, particularly in the 19th century, partly due to the city of Houston, Texas, which was named after General Sam Houston. The name has been used as both a first name and a surname.

Trend Summary

Houston has seen a steady increase in popularity in the United States over the past few decades.

Variants

Huston

International Variants

Houstoun (Scottish)

Famous people named Houston

Houston Alexander is a former American mixed martial artist and professional boxer, recognized for his achievements in the UFC.

Houston Nutt is a former American football coach and player, known for his tenure as head coach at the University of Arkansas.

Houston Curtis is an American television producer and writer, known for his work on various reality television shows.

Fictional characters named Houston

Houston is a character in the video game 'Fallout 3', serving as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel.

Sibling Suggestions

Hudson Harrison Holden Hayden Hunter Hugo

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Houston was first seen in the United States in 1880. Houston has ranked as high as #931 nationally, which occurred in 2021, and has been most popular in Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In the past 5 years the name Houston has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Houston (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
TX	42	12%
TN	31	9%
NC	25	7%
AL	21	6%
FL	20	6%
KY	20	6%
GA	19	6%
IN	15	4%
AR	15	4%
MI	12	4%
MO	11	3%
SC	10	3%
MS	10	3%
VA	10	3%
OK	10	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	16
1881	11
1882	17
1883	16
1884	15
1885	13
1886	24
1887	16
1888	23
1889	11
1890	13
1891	20
1892	14
1893	17
1894	18
1895	22
1896	29
1897	20
1898	18
1899	14
1900	33
1901	31
1902	30
1903	27
1904	27
1905	28
1906	24
1907	32
1908	39
1909	34
1910	41
1911	34
1912	58
1913	83
1914	106
1915	145
1916	158
1917	154
1918	167
1919	171
1920	174
1921	170
1922	164
1923	147
1924	172
1925	154
1926	156
1927	153
1928	150
1929	139
1930	126
1931	123
1932	134
1933	105
1934	110
1935	95
1936	100
1937	95
1938	121
1939	88
1940	126
1941	112
1942	117
1943	108
1944	111
1945	97
1946	105
1947	121
1948	96
1949	100
1950	89
1951	99
1952	96
1953	102
1954	90
1955	82
1956	86
1957	70
1958	73
1959	52
1960	50
1961	58
1962	52
1963	70
1964	74
1965	74
1966	50
1967	77
1968	73
1969	56
1970	61
1971	59
1972	42
1973	39
1974	36
1975	47
1976	47
1977	40
1978	55
1979	56
1980	64
1981	68
1982	82
1983	88
1984	107
1985	94
1986	133
1987	171
1988	172
1989	185
1990	196
1991	218
1992	190
1993	211
1994	270
1995	264
1996	267
1997	251
1998	226
1999	209
2000	214
2001	195
2002	186
2003	209
2004	215
2005	218
2006	243
2007	256
2008	243
2009	219
2010	238
2011	210
2012	217
2013	206
2014	227
2015	264
2016	287
2017	284
2018	313
2019	373
2020	336
2021	439
2022	380
2023	387
2024	381