UK boy's name
Houston
A masculine name derived from an English surname meaning "the town's settlement".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Houston is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Houston popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 4 births.
This profile covers 8 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2017 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8 living people in the UK are called Houston. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Houston ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 4 boys were registered as Houston.
- • About 8 living people in the UK are estimated to have Houston as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2017
4 births
Estimated living
8
2026
Meaning
What does Houston mean?
The name Houston is an English given name derived from the surname Houston, which originated in Scotland. The surname is thought to have its roots in the Old English words "hūs" meaning "house" and "tūn" meaning "settlement" or "farm," suggesting the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a particular homestead or village.
In terms of historical references, the name Houston appears in Scottish records dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is a charter from the reign of King William the Lion (1165-1214), which mentions a person named Hugh de Paduinan, whose name later evolved into Houston.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Houston. One of the earliest was Sir John Houston (c. 1378-1430), a Scottish nobleman and diplomat who served as the Lord Chancellor of Scotland under King James I. Another prominent figure was Samuel Houston (1793-1863), an American soldier and politician who served as the President of the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1838 and later as a U.S. Senator.
In the realm of literature, the name Houston is associated with the American writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), whose works explored the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in the southern United States. The name also has ties to the world of sports, with notable athletes such as Whitney Houston (1963-2012), a legendary American singer and actress, and Dwight Houston (1942-2022), a former professional basketball player who spent several seasons in the NBA.
Another influential figure with the name Houston was Charles Hamilton Houston (1895-1950), a prominent African American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in laying the legal groundwork for the eventual dismantling of racial segregation in the United States. His contributions were instrumental in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.
While the name Houston has its roots in Scotland, it has gained popularity and recognition around the world, particularly in the United States, where it has been associated with various notable figures across different fields, from politics and literature to sports and entertainment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Houston over time
The chart below shows babies named Houston registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2017 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Houston, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Houston by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Houston was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4270 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #3996 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Houston
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Houston: questions and answers
How popular is the name Houston in the UK right now?
In 2024, Houston was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Houston most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 4 babies registered as Houston in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Houston?
A masculine name derived from an English surname meaning "the town's settlement".
How many people are called Houston in the UK?
A total of 8 babies have been registered as Houston across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.