Country Music Baby Names

Country Music Baby Names

The new crop of country music baby names aren't quite as down-home as they used to be. Today’s country stars have names such as Hunter, Maren, and Kacey, which would be equally at home in New Jersey as Nashville.

Along with Hunter and Maren, other country music baby names in the US Top 1000 include Blake, Brooks, Cash, Darius, Faith, June, Rory, and Wyatt. Country musician surnames are rising for both sexes, including Chesney and Paisley for girls, Hayes and Reeves for boys.

You could even look to modern country bands for baby name inspiration — think Magnolia or Perry or Montgomery. Country music baby names have shaken off their hayseed image.

The names of country music stars inspiring parents as baby names today include the following. The new country music baby names here are organized by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Musical Baby Names

Country Baby Names

  1. Owen
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "young warrior; well-born"
    • Description:

      Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now at its highest point ever.
  2. Wyatt
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "brave in war"
    • Description:

      Wyatt has been hot, which is to say cool, for several years now. With its easy Wyatt Earpish cowboy charm, it's relaxed but still highly respectable.
  3. Rory
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red king"
    • Description:

      This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is still trending boyward; it's one of the coolest boys' names starting with R.
  4. Eli
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ascended, uplifted, high"
    • Description:

      With its sharp, succinct sounds and cool, laidback style, Eli is a popular choice among parents today. Compact and punchy, it is a Biblical name with plenty of charm.
  5. Colt
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "young horse"
    • Description:

      Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns.
  6. Brooks
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "of the brook"
    • Description:

      A nature name, a word name, and a surname name, Brooks has plenty of cool factor. It gives off cowboy vibes and a sporty feel, while also maintaining a smart, collected image.
  7. Hayes
    • Origin:

      English surname and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "hedged area"
    • Description:

      One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. It was recently chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, which can likely be credited for its spike in popularity in the past few years. Surname names and nature names like Hayes, which qualifies on both counts, along with occupational names all make up the new generation of stylish English names for boys that go far beyond Harry and Edward.
  8. Hayden
    • Origin:

      English place name
    • Meaning:

      "hay valley"
    • Description:

      Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens, Bradens, Aidans, and endless variations. Associated with Hayden Christensen, of Star Wars fame.
  9. Blake
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired, dark"
    • Description:

      Blake -- an early unisex option -- dropped out of the Top 100 in 2017 for the first time since 1988, but remains a sophisticated choice. And yes, both conflicting meanings of Blake are accurate. It originated as a surname in England derived from a nickname. Much of its masculine image was influenced by the wealthy, silver-haired character Blake Carrington in the massively popular 80s TV series Dynasty. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Blake.
  10. June
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young"
    • Description:

      June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name.
  11. Georgia
    • Origin:

      English, feminine variation of George
    • Meaning:

      "farmer"
    • Description:

      Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King George II) and painter Georgia O'Keeffe, with the Ray Charles song "Georgia On My Mind" or maybe "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing in the background.
  12. Rhett
    • Origin:

      English from Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "advice"
    • Description:

      Rhett has been more tied to Gone with the Wind than even Scarlett, but now we're hearing rumblings of its finding new and independent favor among parents, perhaps emboldened by the growing popularity of Scarlett.
  13. Carter
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "transporter of goods by cart"
    • Description:

      Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire 140+ year history.
  14. Maren
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "sea"
    • Description:

      Maren is one of the many twenty-first-century takes on Mary--but we find the more classic Marin spelling preferable. When spelled Maren, the pronunciation seems more clearly to resemble Mary, with the emphasis on the first syllable. Marin, the spelling also used for the beautiful coastal county north of San Francisco, is often pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, as in Marie.
  15. Easton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "eastern town"
    • Description:

      Easton is a stylish Ivy League-ish place and surname name, more modern than Weston, on its way up for both sexes as part of the new direction baby names are taking, as in North and West. Easton was used for her son by Jenna Elfman--and by Elizabeth Rohm for her daughter.
  16. Jackson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Jack"
    • Description:

      Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, nearly 17,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
  17. Ray
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Raymond, word name, English
    • Meaning:

      "wise protector; beam of light"
    • Description:

      Simple, short, and cool, Ray gives off retro vibes thanks to its 20th century popularity, and its links to jazzy Ray Charles and Ray-Ban sunglasses. A popular middle name for boys, it is well established as a given name too.
  18. Magnolia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from French surname
    • Meaning:

      "Magnol's flower"
    • Description:

      Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.
  19. Hunter
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "one who hunts"
    • Description:

      Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.
  20. Waylon
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "cunning, craft"
    • Description:

      With its rugged, country charm and confident sounds, Waylon is among the wave of Old Western names that parents are choosing.