Hudson
Hudson is a boys' name of English origin meaning “son of Hudde; son of Hugh.” It ranked #47 in the United States in 2025. An English surname derived from Hudde, a medieval pet form of Hugh.
how do you pronounce Hudson?
HUD-son
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Hudson mean?
The name Hudson means “son of Hudde; son of Hugh.” It comes from the English language tradition.
An English surname derived from Hudde, a medieval pet form of Hugh. Henry Hudson, the 17th-century explorer, lent his name to the Hudson River and Hudson Bay, giving the name a rugged, adventurous New World heritage.
where does the name Hudson come from?
An English patronymic surname meaning son of Hudde, where Hudde was a medieval pet form of Hugh, and possibly also of Richard. The underlying Hugh comes from a Germanic root meaning heart or mind.
the history of Hudson
Henry Hudson sailed in search of a northeast and then a northwest passage, and both the Hudson River and Hudson Bay carry his name; he was set adrift by his own mutinous crew in 1611 and never seen again. The surname converted to a given name in the United States in the 1990s, reached the top fifty by the end of the 2010s, and has since climbed into the top twenty.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #47 |
| 2023 | #49 |
| 2022 | #51 |
| 2021 | #53 |
| 2020 | #56 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Hudson?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Hudson?
- Henry Hudson (explorer)
- Hudson Taylor (missionary)
- Rock Hudson (actor)
what names are similar to Hudson?
what names go well with Hudson?
Sibling names that share Hudson's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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