English: Seal of Texas
English: Seal of Texas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let me first say this: thank you, Reese and Jim, for sharing your baby name promptly.  Congratulations to you and your family!

The arrival of baby Tennessee James has prompted a flurry of articles about other celebrities who have used place names for their children.  There’s Alicia Keys’ son Egypt,  and Mike Tyson’s kids, daughter Milan and son Morocco.

But today’s Yea or Nay is about another place.  Why aren’t we meeting more kids called Texas?

Texas comes from a word meaning friend in Caddo, the language of the Native American people who were there when the Spanish arrived.  Austin has been huge for boys, and Dallas has been heard, too.  Plus Texas is the kind of place name with plenty of positive associations.  If Wyatt and other cowboy names are so stylish, why not Texas?

Songs and stories about the state are plentiful, and the short form Tex would fit right in with Rex, Max, Dex, and Pax, as well as Alex, Felix, and Axel.

Last year, just 7 boys received the name.  Another 7 were named plain ol’ Tex.  Neither name charted for girls, though the Dixie Chicks’ Emily Robison has a daughter called Juliana Tex.

So what do you think – Texas, yea or nay?

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About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

18 Comments

  1. I would say yes to Texas as a baby name, though I would add they should be prepared for some Texas-sized preconceptions that would go along with it. Texas doesn’t have the best reputation this far north 😉

  2. I voted “maybe” because it could grow on me, but at the moment I agree with Megalady, Tex on its own seems more attractive, but also a bit fictional. My daughter used to read “High Five” which is “Highlights” but for little kids. There was a series in the magazine called Tex and Indi, about fraternal twins (Tex is the boy, Indi is the girl). That is my immediate thought when I hear Tex.

    Texana/Texanna, Texie, and Exie are all interesting, but I’m unsure of how I feel about Exa.