Boston
Boston was the 620th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 451 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 536th; the most babies were born in 2014 (497). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Boston in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning the city (from Botolph's town, uncertain) · English, Old English
Say it BAW-stun /ˈbɔstən/
- Rank in 2025
- #620 boys, down 26 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 451boys
- Girls and boys
- 9% girls, 91% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2014497 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,944babies recorded
What does the name Boston mean?
Boston is the name of the Massachusetts city, used as a first name. Wiktionary says the US city was named after Boston in Lincolnshire, England, home of several leading colonists. The English town's name is sometimes explained as a contraction of "Botolph's town" or "Botolph's stone," after an Anglo-Saxon saint, but Wiktionary calls this uncertain. Boston has been used as an American boys' name since 1880, and for girls only recently.
Botwulf (Old English, “Botolph (personal name)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The 'Botolph's town' explanation is traditional but uncertain (Wiktionary).
Related names: Bostyn.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Boston' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Boston popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,037 | #620 | 54 | 451 |
| 2020 | #3,555 | #594 | 42 | 463 |
| 2010 | #4,409 | #546 | 33 | 462 |
| 2000 | #11,969 | #1,479 | 7 | 83 |
| 1990 | — | #2,376 | — | 29 |
| 1980 | — | #4,991 | — | 7 |
| 1970 | — | #4,283 | — | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | #3,060 | — | 7 |
| 1940 | — | #2,501 | — | 9 |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | #2,352 | — | 13 |
| 1910 | — | #1,210 | — | 8 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | #928 | — | 5 |
How popular is Boston, counting every spelling?
Boston is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #610 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #620 for Boston on its own. Together these spellings went to 451 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 451 | #620 | 2,253 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Boston?
451 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Boston (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Boston born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Boston.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Boston?
About 10,400 people born in the US named Boston are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 18. That makes Boston a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Boston by state
How common Boston was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (8.8×), Idaho (5.3×), Oklahoma (3.9×), Kansas (3.0×), Iowa (3.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Boston: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Boston, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Boston · Sibling names for Boston
Questions about the name Boston
What does Boston mean?
Boston is usually explained as “the city (from Botolph's town, uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Boston?
Boston was the 620th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 451 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 536th; the most babies were born in 2014 (497). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Boston in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Boston a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 9% girls, 91% boys given the name Boston in the US.
Where is Boston most popular?
In 2021–2025, Boston was most common in Utah (2.29 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Oklahoma.