Hudson
Feminine · “son of Hudde”
Hudson is given to boys far more often — 114,287 boys against 1,882 girls since 1880. See Hudson as a boy name
Hudson is son of Hudde, and Hudde was a medieval English pet form of Hugh — from a Germanic word for the mind.
How old is the name Hudson?
Hudson first appears in US birth records in 1995 — 30 years ago. The typical Hudson is a kid of about 9 — this name's wave is very recent. About 1,900 people named Hudson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Hudson most popular?
Hudson peaked in 2016, reaching #1667 nationally. Today it ranks #2214, 547 places below that high. See the whole 2016 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From hug to Hudson
The story of Hudson
Henry Hudson sailed for the Dutch, gave his name to a river and a bay, and was set adrift by a mutinous crew in 1611 and never seen again. The surname is much older than him. Hudson became an American given name for boys and, more recently, for girls; it appears in the registers in current use.
Meaning
son of Hudde
A patronymic from Hudde, a medieval English pet form of Hugh or Richard. Hugh descends from the Germanic hug, 'heart', 'mind' or 'spirit'. The surname's construction is documented and the Germanic element settled.
How the name formed
- hug
- Hudde
- Hudson
Related forms: Hudsen · Hudsyn
Pronouncing Hudson
HUD-sun
Two syllables, stress on the first. Said identically in every English accent.
Nicknames for Hudson
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1995
- Most girls named
- 2016128 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1667reached in 2016
- Change vs 2024
- 0.0%83 in 2025, from 83
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Hudson in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Hudsen in English — spelling variant
- Hudsyn in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Hudsons among us
people named Hudson are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 19,365 born in 2025 was named Hudson
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Pola test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Hudson's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Pola climbed just as high around 1926, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Pola's path sketches the road Hudson is walking now.
Hudson sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Hudson is headed
Hudson should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Hudson beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Hudson in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The mind-and-spirit element behind Hugh is a genuinely good root.
- Hud and Huddy are two short forms, both usable.
- Two clean syllables with no pronunciation risk.
- It reads as masculine and as a surname to most English speakers.
- The feminine use is very new.
- Henry Hudson's fate is a grim association for some.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Hudson to the vote.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Hudson
Feminine · #2214 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Hudsons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,900 people named Hudson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Hudson in 2025?
- Hudson ranks #2214 among US girl names in 2025, with 83 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Hudson?
- About 1 in every 19,365 US girls born in 2025 was named Hudson — 83 in all.
- Will my child share the name Hudson with classmates?
- Hudson will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Hudson
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Hania#2214 · Perry#2214 · Bea#2214 · Lyana#2214 · Mahira#2214 · Lanie#2214 · Alorah#2214 · Nava#2214
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Hudson? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Hudson and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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