Cool Cowboy Names

A natural successor to Hunter, Hudson, and Huxley, Hutton is an unexpected yet on-trend unisex name. Associated with Scottish geologist James Hutton, and as a first name with designer Hutton Wilkinson.

Three Stooges name (he's the one who wasn't Moe or Curly).

Derivation of Hutchinson.

Cameron is still more popular as a boy's name than a girls and this simple, snappy short form works well for either sex.

Originally a short form of Odell, a place name turned surname that hails from England.

A name that took on a pronounced country twang via Nashville megastar Garth (born Troyal) Brooks.

See QUADE.

An appellation that couldn't be more Ivy League or sound less Welsh. The name of the University is taken from the surname of college benefactor Elihu Yale. In the movie Manhattan, Yale Pollack is the name of Woody Allen's best friend. The Hebrew Yael is not related.

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.

Santana was most recently heard on a female character on hit television show Glee. Nonetheless, this name ranks higher for boys, which can be credited to Grammy Award-winning musician Carlos Santana.

This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name or an update on Roger.

Calm, straightforward, patrician sounding: Pace is one new-style name that's well-grounded.

Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages.

Clint with a glint; used for flinty characters in old TV westerns and soap operas.

Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed Der Bingle -- and he was really Harry Lillis Crosby.

Ryles may be one of the best-kept secrets in baby names. It has all the trappings of a hit — similarities to fashionable names like Miles and Riley, traditional surname history, that S ending! And yet, neither Ryles nor Riles has ever been given to more than five American baby boys in a single year.

For the parent who might also have Buck and Ryder on his list.

One of the less common members of the currently popular craftsmen's guild, Becker once had a self-named sitcom, and is also associated with Wimbleton tennis legend Boris Becker.

This is the kind of strong one-syllable boy's name many parents are seeking these days. The more musical Chord was introduced by hot young actor Chord Overstreet.