60 Western Names To Tip Your Hat To

If the wild popularity of a TV series like Yellowstone is any indication, cowboy culture is alive and well today — and so are the baby names inspired by it. Western names are ones that will stand the test of time. If you’re looking for a baby name that makes you want to dust off your boots and saddle up your horses, you’ve come to the right place.

What are “western names?”

Inspired by notorious outlaws and sharpshooters of the late 1800s like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, Annie Oakley, Doc Holiday, and so many others, western names have been a mainstay in American culture since the days of the Old West. Whether they were cowboys who wrangled cattle or criminals who robbed trains, the legendary figures from when the west was wild are synonymous with western culture. Just like the cowboys (or cowgirls) you might see in an old western movie, western names are typically ones full of grit and tenacity with a hint of nobility.

The western names below are sure to transport you back to a time of blazing saddles where ruggedness ruled and the American spirit reigned supreme.

Western boy names

• Bill: short for William, which means “resolute protector.”
• Earl: a warrior or nobleman.
• Wayne: means “wagon-builder” or “wagon-driver.”
• Dallas: means “skilled,” or the name of a city in Texas.
• Beau: French-origin name meaning “beautiful.”
• Frank: a diminutive of Francis or Franklin, meaning “free.”
• Bart: short for Bartholomew, meaning “son of the Earth” in Hebrew.
• Duke: means “leader” and is of Latin origin.
• Gary: an Old English name that means “spear.”
• Butch: means “manly,” originally the nickname for a butcher.
• Porter: means “gatekeeper” or “doorkeeper.”
• Dutton: means “hill settlement.” (Also inspired by Yellowstone.)
• Howard: an Old English name that means “noble watchman.”
• Levi: of biblical origin, meaning “united” or “joined.”
• Tex: means “from Texas.”
• Dusty: means “brave warrior” or “light dirt.”
• Carson: means “son of marsh dwellers.”
• Marshall: a French name that means “master of horses.”
• Nash:English-origin name that means “by the ash tree.”
• Remington: means “place on the riverbank” or “raven-family town.”
• Zeke: of Hebrew origin, meaning “God strengthens.”
• Flynn: an Irish name that means “son of the red-haired one.”
• Logan: means “hollow.”
• John: means “God is gracious.”
• Brock: of British origin, meaning “badger.”
• Cal: short for Calvin or Caleb, meaning “devoted.”
• Wesley: means “a field to the west.”
• Ranger: of French origin, meaning “forest guardian.”
• Judd: means “to flow down.”
• Carter: the occupational name of someone who transports goods from place to place.

Western girl names

• Cassidy: of Irish origin, meaning “the clever one.”
• Rose: referring to the name of a perennial flower.
• Pearl: derived from the name of the rare, hard, round white object found inside of mollusks.
• Beth: short for Elizabeth or Bethany, meaning “house.”
• Kitty: a derivative of Katherine, which means “pure.”
• Annie: means “grace” or “favor” in Hebrew.
• Clara: means “bright, clear.”
• Laramie: a French name that means “from the leafy grove.”
• Florence: means “blossoming” or “flourishing.”
• Ida: of German origin, meaning “industrious.”
• Bea: means “bringer of happiness; blessed.”
• Dixie: a French-origin name meaning “tenth.”
• Temperance: a virtue name that means “moderation.”
• Virginia: originally of English origin, meaning “pure virgin maid,” or a reference to the American state.
• Jane: means “God is gracious.”
• Minnie: has a variety of meanings including “beloved,” “rebellious,” and “of the mind, intellect.”
• Maude: an Old German name meaning “powerful battler.”
• Edith: means “rich” or “happy.”
• Hazel: an Old English name that means “of the hazelnut tree.”
• Dorothy: means “God’s gift.”
• Milly: short for Amelia, meaning “gentle strength.”
• Eliza: means “pledged to God.”
• Josephine: of Hebrew origin, meaning “Jehovah increases.”
• Harriet: means “home ruler.”
• Tilly: a shortened version of Matilda, a German name that means “mighty in battle.”
• Lillian: means “purity,” a reference to the lily flower.
• Cheyenne: of Sioux origin, meaning “people of a different language.”
• Jesse: means “God exists.”
• Gertrude: derived from the German words for “spear” and “strength.”
• Dakota: of Sioux origin, meaning “ally” or “friend,” a reference to two midwestern states.

With one of these western names, you can rest assured that your little wrangler will have a moniker fit for running a ranch one day.