Fun Facts About the Name Hudson
- Gaining ground: Hudson remained in the U.S. top 100 for 14 consecutive years, from 2012 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 5 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 116 thousand babies named Hudson: U.S. records list 116,128 babies given the name Hudson from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,882 girls received the name Hudson - about 1 girl for every 61 boys.
What Does the Name Hudson Mean?
Hudson is an English surname used as a given name, and its established meaning is "son of Hugh" (literally, "son of Hudde"). It comes from Middle English. The base is the personal name Hudde, a pet form of Hugh, which English acquired from Old French Hugues; that in turn goes back to a Germanic name built on *hugiz, meaning "mind," "thought," or "spirit." The surname therefore originally identified a man as the son of someone called Hudde. Some reference works connect Hudde instead with an Old English personal name Huda, so the exact pre-surname source is not fully certain, but the patronymic structure and the Hugh connection are the usual explanation.
Hudson Name History & Origins
The surname Hudson belongs to medieval England. It is one of many English patronymic surnames formed with -son, a pattern that became common in the Middle Ages as bynames hardened into hereditary family names. The base was the personal name Hudde, a short form of Hugh; the path is Hugh (from Old French Hugues) to Hudde (Middle English pet form) to Hudson. Once the surname became hereditary, it no longer changed meaning with each generation.
Hudson became a given name through the English and American custom of turning surnames into first names. That practice expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Hudson has been used as a boy's name in the United States since at least the 19th century. The surname also belongs to Henry Hudson, the English explorer of the early 17th century for whom the Hudson River and Hudson Bay are named; that association is separate from the name's medieval origin.
How Popular is the Name Hudson?
Hudson recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Hudson entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2012.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,223 | 83 | 0.0052% |
| 2024 | #2,248 | 83 | 0.0051% |
| 2023 | #2,237 | 84 | 0.0052% |
| 2022 | #1,806 | 113 | 0.0069% |
| 2021 | #1,918 | 103 | 0.0063% |
| 2020 | #1,887 | 102 | 0.0063% |
| 2019 | #1,824 | 112 | 0.0067% |
| 2018 | #1,836 | 111 | 0.0065% |
| 2017 | #1,710 | 125 | 0.0072% |
| 2016 | #1,676 | 128 | 0.0072% |
| 2015 | #1,818 | 115 | 0.0064% |
| 2014 | #1,822 | 112 | 0.0063% |
| 2013 | #2,367 | 77 | 0.0044% |
| 2012 | #2,524 | 72 | 0.0041% |
| 2011 | #2,924 | 59 | 0.0034% |
| 2010 | #2,794 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 2009 | #2,736 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 2008 | #4,488 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2007 | #3,442 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2006 | #5,609 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #3,474 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 2004 | #5,119 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2003 | #5,147 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #5,974 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #7,911 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #13,794 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,050 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #13,023 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #10,152 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #9,906 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #12,334 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #17 | 8,583 | 0.5025% |
| 2024 | #22 | 7,990 | 0.4658% |
| 2023 | #21 | 7,951 | 0.4654% |
| 2022 | #27 | 7,917 | 0.4539% |
| 2021 | #34 | 7,624 | 0.4361% |
| 2020 | #43 | 6,848 | 0.3970% |
| 2019 | #50 | 6,493 | 0.3621% |
| 2018 | #55 | 6,576 | 0.3622% |
| 2017 | #64 | 5,788 | 0.3128% |
| 2016 | #61 | 6,127 | 0.3229% |
| 2015 | #65 | 6,049 | 0.3157% |
| 2014 | #80 | 5,241 | 0.2729% |
| 2013 | #87 | 4,671 | 0.2470% |
| 2012 | #93 | 4,220 | 0.2225% |
| 2011 | #112 | 3,444 | 0.1814% |
| 2010 | #139 | 2,851 | 0.1486% |
| 2009 | #150 | 2,650 | 0.1336% |
| 2008 | #176 | 2,250 | 0.1103% |
| 2007 | #206 | 1,896 | 0.0914% |
| 2006 | #251 | 1,370 | 0.0667% |
| 2005 | #276 | 1,209 | 0.0605% |
| 2004 | #329 | 917 | 0.0462% |
| 2003 | #391 | 669 | 0.0339% |
| 2002 | #480 | 484 | 0.0249% |
| 2001 | #516 | 438 | 0.0225% |
| 2000 | #588 | 337 | 0.0172% |
| 1999 | #695 | 242 | 0.0126% |
| 1998 | #667 | 256 | 0.0134% |
| 1997 | #708 | 223 | 0.0118% |
| 1996 | #651 | 257 | 0.0136% |
| 1995 | #997 | 124 | 0.0065% |
| 1994 | #1,097 | 105 | 0.0054% |
| 1993 | #1,133 | 99 | 0.0050% |
| 1992 | #1,387 | 67 | 0.0034% |
| 1991 | #1,372 | 68 | 0.0034% |
| 1990 | #1,535 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 1989 | #1,812 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1988 | #1,747 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 1987 | #1,717 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 1986 | #2,551 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #2,090 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1984 | #2,258 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #1,919 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #2,022 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1981 | #2,061 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1980 | #2,398 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1979 | #2,824 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #2,602 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #3,094 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1976 | #5,199 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,768 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #2,228 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1973 | #2,642 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1972 | #3,233 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #2,320 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1970 | #2,790 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #1,746 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1968 | #1,755 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1967 | #2,191 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #2,087 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #2,877 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #1,762 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1963 | #2,468 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #3,807 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #1,841 | 20 | 0.0009% |
| 1960 | #4,294 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #2,153 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #2,061 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #2,429 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #1,553 | 26 | 0.0012% |
| 1955 | #1,702 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1954 | #1,679 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1953 | #1,740 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1952 | #1,775 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1951 | #1,659 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1950 | #1,353 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1949 | #1,524 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1948 | #1,441 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1947 | #1,198 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1946 | #1,488 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1945 | #1,602 | 18 | 0.0013% |
| 1944 | #1,318 | 26 | 0.0019% |
| 1943 | #1,384 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1942 | #1,603 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1941 | #1,616 | 19 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #1,763 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1939 | #1,285 | 27 | 0.0024% |
| 1938 | #1,233 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1937 | #1,389 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1936 | #1,237 | 29 | 0.0028% |
| 1935 | #1,308 | 27 | 0.0026% |
| 1934 | #1,440 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1933 | #1,213 | 30 | 0.0030% |
| 1932 | #1,489 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1931 | #1,374 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1930 | #1,857 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #1,428 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1928 | #1,261 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1927 | #1,389 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1926 | #1,075 | 43 | 0.0039% |
| 1925 | #1,031 | 45 | 0.0040% |
| 1924 | #1,175 | 38 | 0.0034% |
| 1923 | #1,122 | 41 | 0.0037% |
| 1922 | #1,149 | 39 | 0.0036% |
| 1921 | #1,053 | 45 | 0.0041% |
| 1920 | #1,042 | 45 | 0.0042% |
| 1919 | #952 | 50 | 0.0051% |
| 1918 | #924 | 52 | 0.0051% |
| 1917 | #915 | 49 | 0.0053% |
| 1916 | #847 | 55 | 0.0062% |
| 1915 | #972 | 42 | 0.0049% |
| 1914 | #1,206 | 24 | 0.0037% |
| 1913 | #1,037 | 24 | 0.0047% |
| 1912 | #1,075 | 19 | 0.0044% |
| 1911 | #1,075 | 11 | 0.0049% |
| 1910 | #1,256 | 8 | 0.0041% |
| 1909 | #921 | 11 | 0.0067% |
| 1908 | #856 | 11 | 0.0071% |
| 1907 | #1,262 | 6 | 0.0041% |
| 1906 | #1,324 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1905 | #1,162 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #844 | 9 | 0.0070% |
| 1902 | #771 | 10 | 0.0082% |
| 1901 | #808 | 8 | 0.0075% |
| 1900 | #939 | 9 | 0.0060% |
| 1899 | #1,124 | 5 | 0.0047% |
| 1898 | #845 | 8 | 0.0065% |
| 1897 | #1,139 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1896 | #859 | 8 | 0.0067% |
| 1895 | #1,026 | 6 | 0.0051% |
| 1894 | #697 | 10 | 0.0086% |
| 1893 | #555 | 13 | 0.0116% |
| 1892 | #903 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1891 | #1,033 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1889 | #1,036 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1888 | #723 | 9 | 0.0074% |
| 1884 | #637 | 10 | 0.0087% |
| 1881 | #938 | 5 | 0.0050% |
| 1880 | #980 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Hudson
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Hudson Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Hudson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hudson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.