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Home › Baby Names Directory › Houston

Houston

♀ Girl

Pronounced HYOO-stun /ˈhju.stən/Medium

Meaning: From a Scottish place/surname, 'Hugh's town/settlement' (from Hugh, 'heart; mind', + tun, 'town'); also the Texas city; overwhelmingly used for boys/places; here for girls; we note the placeLow

In 30 seconds: Hugh's town; a settlement: Houston is a place/surname. Crisp, modern, and warm. Mostly a boys'/place name (here for girls; said 'HYOO-stun').
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Origin LowEnglish, Scottish
MeaningFrom a Scottish place/surname, 'Hugh's town/settlement' (from Hugh, 'heart; mind', + tun, 'town'); also the Texas city; overwhelmingly used for boys/places; here for girls; we note the place
U.S. rank (2025)#9092 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births11 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2021
Total births (all-time)≈ 436

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202119872025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Houston comes from a Scottish place/surname, 'Hugh's town/settlement' (from Hugh, 'heart; mind', + tun, 'town'); it is also the Texas city (we note the place). Mostly a boys'/place name; here it is used for a girl (slug distinguished). A crisp, modern name (said 'HYOO-stun'; nickname Houi).

In the U.S. it is mostly a boys'/place name. Rare for girls, Hugh's-town at the root, and modern.

Did you know? Houston is a Scottish place/surname, 'Hugh's town/settlement' (Hugh, 'heart; mind', + tun, 'town'; also the Texas city) — mostly a boys' and place name, used here for a girl (we note the place; said 'HYOO-stun').
Overall data confidence 38%
References — Houston — place-name; unisex

Variations

HoustynHuston

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Houston…

Austin— a sound-neighbor -stin place/surname name
Harlow— a fellow place/surname girls' name
Memphis— a companion place-name used for girls
Dallas— another Texas place-name used for girls

Explore names like Houston

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Houston mean?

Houston is a Scottish place/surname, 'Hugh's town/settlement'; also the Texas city; mostly a boys'/place name, used here for a girl. We note the place.

How do you pronounce Houston?

It's said HYOO-stun /ˈhju.stən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Houston a boy or girl name?

Houston is mostly a boys' and place name; this page covers its rarer use as a girl's name.

How popular is Houston?

Houston is very rare as a girl's name in the U.S.

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