From Ace to Zane: The Best Cowboy Names for Boys

Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

This post was originally published in 8/11, and revised and edited in 7/13.

Let’s say you want your son to grow up to be like Clint Eastwood. Gruff, rough and tough. A real boy’s boy. A manly man. Macho. Or maybe you’re in love with old Westerns. The romance. The drama. The lonely dusty prairies and tumbleweeds, swinging saloon doors and swaggering, comboy-hat-wearing, gun-slinging heros. Whatever the case, you aren’t into sissy names. None of that Aidan and Liam crap for you. If that’s the way you feel, take a look at these names, a list appropriate for any future comboy, tough guy, or guy’s guy.

Cowboys:

These names were inspired by old Western films, Western literature, and other Western paraphernalia. A lot of names that were used for cowboys were traditionally short and strong nicknames for longer, Biblical names:

Zane
Cooper
Zeb (Zebedee, Zebulon)
Jed/ Jeb (Jedidiah, Jebidiah)
Link (Lincoln)
Ford
Slade
Grady
Ike (Isaac)
Deck
Press (Preston)
Gray
Gus (August)
Flint
Fletcher
Hank (Henry)
Hal (Henry)
Eli
Luke
West
Clay
Dock
Cord
Wade
Hudson
Price
Mose (Ambrose, Moses)
Cash (Cassius)
Jem (Jeremiah)
Grover
Lou (Louis)
Sly (Sylvester)
Amos
Silas
Jake
Cleve (Cleveland)
Clint
Loper
Wiley
Abe (Abraham, Abel)
Heck (Hector)
Boone
Ranger
Linus
Jose, Josie (The Outlaw Josie Wales)
Jud (Judson)
Clem (Clement)
Guthrie
Destry (from Destry Rides Again)
Burt
Zeke (Ezekiel)
Rover
Denver
Lasso
Jethro
Toby (Tobiah, Tobias)
Trace
Dakota
Laramie
Win (Edwin)
Ransom
Mal (Malcolm, Malachi)
Mort (Mortimer)
Cai (Mordecai)
Cass (Casper, Cassian, Cassius, Casimir...)
Hersch (Herschel)
Harlan

Other Guy’s Guys:

These names project a cool, tough, (or combination of both) image:

Jack
Dash
Seth
Dune
Thor (Thorben)
Dirk
Oak
Sam (Samuel, Samson)
Moss (Thomas)
Easton
Foster
Cliff
Vale
Hawk
Keane
Jude
Max
Rift
Ridge
Finn
Ross
Ajax
Red (Redmond)
Dane
Bo
Hunt (Hunter)
Wes (Wesley)
Ramsey
Eben (Ebenezer)
Grant
Ace (Asa)
Blaise
Archer
Pike
Arrow
Birch
Shane (from the film Shane)
Gunnar
Talon
Cade
Flynn
Rush
Chase
Jase/Jase
Cole

Bunions and Butlers: Sounds from the South

The title of this blog pretty much says it all...I was combing through cemetery records for Greenville, SC, and found some real gems:

My Favorites:

Frances Moon

Flora Ozette

Samantha Clarentine

Gracy Myrtle

Addie Geneva

Harvey Levi

Homer Harrison

Tessie Mae

Coralee

Wyly Vincent 

Buster Edward 

Benton Marcellus 

Posey 

Zebby Vance 

Dexter

 Sibsets:

Rex, Roy, and Rufus

Junius and Jasper

Weird Nicknames:

Sunie

Hozey Lee

Heggie

Icie

Zimmie

Texie Talley

Fronie

Jettie Estelle

Loulie Latimer

Zadie

Hardy (technically not a nickname, but it has that “ee” sound ending)

Loveably Eccentric:

Sacharissa (I'm gonna sack 'er riss a horrible name!)

Mattiezelle

Ichabod

Lake

Loner Rainey Langley (No joke.)

Narcissie 

Sophronie

Spartan Irenus (Someone was going through a wannabe gladiator phase)

McBee (This sounds like a possible McDonald’s campaign. Mc-Beeeee yourself!)

Cain (anyone who names their child after the murderous brother is eccentric. Or stupid.)

The Presidential:

Bingeman Franklin (Dear parents, really? Here is all the evidence needed to prove that unique spellings are unnecessary, and often ignorant.)

George Washington

Grover Cleveland

Columbus Washington (Too much. Just too much historical naming going on here.)

Surnamey/Occupation Names with interesting consequences:

Bunion

Young (what did he do when he hit 50?)

Butler

Ransom Duke (this sounds like an order)

Emma and Cassandra...er? 

I found multiple instances of Emmer, and one Casander. Emmer is almost a legitimate name. The Irish name Emer, or Eimhear, is pronounced “ee-mer.” But Casander...I have no explanation for that one.