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At a Glance: Name: Houston – Meaning: Hugh's town – Origin: Scottish (Middle English place name) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: HYOO-stun
Houston has a straightforward story: it comes from Middle English/Scots, literally meaning 'Hugh's town' — the name of a place near Glasgow that became a surname and then a given name. You may have heard it described as Gaelic for 'town on the hill,' but that's not accurate; its roots are Scottish, not Gaelic. It's used as a name for any gender and is pronounced HYOO-stun.
Meaning & Origin of Houston
Meaning: Hugh's town.
Origin: Scottish (Middle English place name).
A common claim: Often described as Gaelic, meaning 'town on the hill' Actually: Houston isn't Gaelic — it's Middle English/Scots, literally 'Hugh's town,' the name of a place near Glasgow that became a surname and then a given name.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Houston
Phonetic: HYOO-stun IPA: /ˈhjuːstən/
Popularity of Houston
Houston peaked in 1901 at #319 with 31 babies given the name, and by 2024 it sat at #702 with 381 — more babies overall today, but a lower rank in a much bigger field of names.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Houston Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Houston, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Houston mean?
Hugh’s town. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Houston)
How do you pronounce Houston?
Houston is pronounced HYOO-stun (IPA: /ˈhjuːstən/).
Is Houston a popular name right now?
Houston peaked at #319 in 1901 and is ranked #702 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Houston? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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