boy's name
Hudson
HUD-sun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 139,946
the United States
#17
2025 births
Hudson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Hudde," a medieval pet form of Hugh. It began as a surname and is widely associated with the Hudson River in New York, named after the English navigator Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609.
- Hudson is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 8,666 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 383 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Hudson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 34 |
| 1890s | 67 |
| 1900s | 75 |
| 1910s | 334 |
| 1920s | 384 |
| 1930s | 255 |
| 1940s | 235 |
| 1950s | 200 |
| 1960s | 146 |
| 1970s | 133 |
| 1980s | 294 |
| 1990s | 1,534 |
| 2000s | 12,522 |
| 2010s | 52,437 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 47,519 |
What Hudson means
Hudson means son of Hudde. Hudde was a familiar medieval form of Hugh, itself from a Germanic word for heart or mind, so the name's deeper sense runs back to thought or spirit rather than anything in Hudson itself.
Where Hudson comes from
Hudson is a patronymic English surname formed from Hudde, a medieval pet form of Hugh, plus the suffix -son. Hugh derives from the Germanic hug, meaning heart, mind, or spirit. The surname is recorded in England from the thirteenth century. Its modern prominence owes much to Henry Hudson, the English navigator who sailed up the river that now bears his name in 1609 while searching for a northwest passage, and who also gave his name to Hudson Bay. Like Harper and Mason, Hudson moved from surname to given name during the modern fashion for surname first names.
How popular is Hudson?
In 2025, Hudson was given to 8,666 babies in the United States, ranking #17 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Hudson is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Hudson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hudson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hudson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Hudson
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Hudson in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Hudsen
Sibling names for Hudson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hudson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hudson
What does the name Hudson mean?
Hudson means "son of Hudde," a medieval pet form of the name Hugh.
Is Hudson named after the river?
The river was named after the navigator Henry Hudson, whose surname came from the same medieval source as the given name.
Was Hudson originally a surname?
Yes. Hudson is an English patronymic surname recorded from the thirteenth century.
How popular is the name Hudson?
In 2025, Hudson was given to 8,666 babies in the United States, ranking #17 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Hudson a girl's or a boy's name?
Hudson is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Hudson?
Hudson has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Hudson?
Hudson is usually shortened to Hud.
Is Hudson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hudson currently ranks #17 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.