Names Trending in the American West

Updated Thu Feb 27 2025

The Western United States are renowned for their rugged natural beauty, open highways… and unique baby name style!

Western names are names that are relatively more popular in the Western United States — which we define here as California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Alaska — than they are in the rest of the county. We dived into the data for the most popular names by state, to discover which names are used at least 50% more in this region.

The results are as pioneering and diverse as the West itself. The most popular Western names reflect the region’s multicultural communities, and parents also love flexible names that cross between cultures. Other major sources of inspiration include local nature and geography, and cutesy nicknames that wouldn’t look out of place in a British birth announcement column.

Gender-neutral names are also popular, including several that are used proportionally more for both boys and girls in the West.

Saddle up and discover 100+ names you’re more likely to find in the Western United States than anywhere else in the country.

Western Nature and Landscape

Western parents are inspired by their surroundings, starting with points of the compass. Almost a third of boys named West and Westley were born in this region, as well as a third of boys named Zephyr, the Greek name for the west wind.

Tree names are especially popular, with Alder, Ash and Cedar used relatively more for boys, and local darling Sequoia (the redwood tree and national park) for girls.

Another local favorite is Rainier, as in Washington State’s highest peak. Of the twelve Rainiers born in the West in 2023, 8 were in Washington.

Sierra is evocative of the mountain ranges around the region, and just over a third of girls with this name were born in the Western States. Likewise, Rio — meaning “river” — is well-used here for both sexes. Speaking of unisex names, Ember and Skye, which are more common for girls, are relatively popular for baby boys here.

Here are geographic names at least 50% more popular in the Western United States than the rest of the country:

Hispanic Names Popular in the West

Hispanic baby names are a major hallmark of the Western States, thanks mainly to California’s large Latinx population.

Proportionally popular names cover the whole style spectrum, from cutting-edge cool word names like Cruz and Cielo, to fading classics past their peak popularity, like Salvador and Guadalupe.

Some are multicultural choices which are especially popular with Hispanic parents currently. For boys, these include Julian and Ezekiel, which both rank in the Top 10 most popular names in California, but at Number 33 and 50 nationally. For girls, Alina is Number 56 in California, but Number 150 nationwide.

Others are highly localized in Latin American culture: the list features modern coinages such as Arisbeth and Yamileth, as well as names from the Nahuatl languages such as Xochitl and Xitlali.

Unisex Names of the Western US

Gender-neutral names are on the rise everywhere, and parents in the West have their own favorites. These include names drawn from places, last names, and nature.

Five names — Bowie, Brighton, Indiana, Rio, and Ren — are used at least 50% more in Western states than the rest of the country for both girls and boys.

Minority-gender names well-represented in this region include Arlo, Camden and Wesley for girls, and Ember, Noa and Skye for boys.

Popular Nicknames in the American West

Nickname names like Charlie and Theo are on trend across the nation, but the Western United States has some unusual favorites. Some have a distinctly British air, like Monty and Romy, while others are on a roll in America right now, like Kit and Navie.

If you know kids with these nicknames on their birth certificate? There’s a good chance you live in the West.

Popular Traveling Lite Names

Traveling lite baby names are short names that slip seamlessly between cultures without being too closely tied to any particular one — a perfect style for the melting pot of the American West.

Here's our pick of breezy names that will fit in anywhere, but are especially popular in this region.

Multicultural Names in the Western States

While some parents choose names that bridge cultures, others proudly give their children names from their heritage, or honoring a place they are connected to — something that contributes to the pool of American names becoming larger and more diverse every year. Many of the names especially popular in the West come from Polynesian, Indian, Japanese, Scandinavian, and other cultures that make up the region’s population.

Below are some of our favorites.

Berry Favorites of the Western United States

Finally, here are some names not mentioned above, which we think will appeal to many of our lovely readers! If you like most of the names on this list, chances are you are (or should be!) living in the Western US.

About the Author

Clare Green

Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com