Boone: Baby Name of the Day

Rugged and outdoorsy, with a positive meaning, the baby name Boone could be the perfect choice for a son.

Inspiration for our Baby Name of the Day comes from this list.

WHAT DOES THE NAME BOONE MEAN?

The Old French bon comes from the word bonus. It originally meant good in Latin. As in the French phrase c’est si bon, from this popular song, first recorded in 1947.

Most sources connect the surname and baby name Boone to this word.

Others suggest it might come from French place name Bohon, named for the Bohon or Bohun family. The English noble family of Norman origin traces their roots to this place, too. (I’m not clear what their surname means, but they have their own swan.)

Or possibly it’s from the Dutch word for bean, given to one who farmed beans, or resembled a string bean.

But let’s stick with good. 

There’s also the archaic word boon, which you might still hear in use today. A “boon companion” is a dear friend. It comes from the same root as the French word bon. 

Or boon might come from another root, meaning a blessing or a gift.

All around, the meaning of Boone is strongly positive.

DANIEL BOONE

One figure immediately comes to mind: renowned American frontiersman Daniel Boone.

He’s a legendary figure, but he’s also very real.

Born to a large Quaker family in Pennsylvania. His dad was a blacksmith and weaver, recently immigrated from England.

Young Daniel Boone was a gifted huter and left home to serve in the military during the French and Indian war. Between the 1

He became famous for his exploration of rural America. He’s also known for the settlement of Kentucky. He became one of the first Americans to settle across the Appalachians. Thousands of his countrymen followed the trail blazed by Boone. He kept heading west, eventually settling in Missouri. 

The frontiersman was still very much alive when writer John Filson profiled him for a 1784 publication. Filson’s account made Daniel a legend. Over the years, truth fact morphed into tall tale. Daniel Boone is an American folk hero, but even during his life, he cautioned that many stories were greatly exaggerated or even invented.

A national forest, seven counties, a North Carolina town, as well as schools and other places bear his name. Lord Byron immortalized him in his 1822 poem Don Juan, calling him “The General Boon, back-woodsman of Kentucky.” Another writer called him “the Columbus of the woods.” He’s remembered in American history for his adventurous spirit.

In 1964, NBC introduced a successful TV series based on the frontiersman’s life. Fess Parker, best known for playing Davy Crockett on an earlier series, played Boone. The show ran until 1970.

MORE MEN NAMED BOONE

A few other notables answer to the first name Boone:

• Businessman T. Boone Pickens managed a hedge fund.
• In 1983, NBC aired a television series called Boone. It followed an aspiring young singer by the name over two seasons.
• Ian Somerhalder played a character by the name in early seasons of LOST.
• On short-lived NBC drama Trauma, it’s the surname of one of the paramedics, by which he’s known exclusively.

The surname Boone is fairly common, too. Baseball player Bob Boone had a long and storied career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Bob and his family are descendants of Daniel. 

It’s something of a sporty name. Ice hockey player Boone Jenner is another notable.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME BOONE?

Any surname is likely to be heard as a given name, at least occasionally. That’s true for Boone. Either in homage to the frontiersman, or because it was a family name, Boone appeared in the US popularity data in small numbers, beginning way back in 1889.

Pop culture lifted the name slightly across the decades, but only by a little.

LOST gave the name a bump in 2004. 

It’s gained steadily since then. In 2015, the name debuted in the US Top 1000. As of 2023, it stood at #595.

WESTERN SWAGGER

The appeal of the baby name Boone comes down to a few things. It’s got a great meaning. It offers just a little more sound than Bo and Beau.

But mostly, Boone’s appeal is that Western swagger. It’s a brother name for Dutton and Colt, Wyatt and Blake. 

Boone has a certain cowboy sensibility, an indepnedence and strength, that appeals to parents now. 

What do you think of the baby name Boone?

First published on July 21, 2016, this post was revised on February 12, 2025.