The most popular Wyoming baby names tend to be very interesting, indeed.
The national top choice for girls, Olivia, doesn’t even rank in the Wyoming Top Ten. Many of the leading names in the state – Stetson, Brynlee, Augustus, Briar – would be relatively rare elsewhere in the country.
Wyoming is the tenth largest by area, but the smallest population of any state. Plenty of cities welcome more newborns in a year than the entire state.
State statistics reflect this reality. The #1 name for boys in Wyoming was given to just 27 boys. In a state like California? Over 2,700 boys receive the top choice.
In a twist, the Wyoming Department of Health lists different Top Ten lists. Theodore appears as the top name for boys, with Charlotte for girls. Why the difference in the winning choices?
It’s not clear, but one possible reason? With such a small number of births, even a few days’ difference in when last year’s birth records are finalized could make a difference and shuffle the #1 name to the #4 spot or vice versa.
(That’s because of the small numbers. Close your books in November, and those three Theodores born in December are omitted, dropping it down the rankings.)
List wyoming’s most popular names and a few themes emerge: a rugged, Western orientation. Lane, Tripp, and Oakley all sound meant at home on horseback. Classic names also overperform. And nature names make a strong showing, with outdoorsy picks like River and Azalea ranking the state’s Top Tens. Resident mothers and fathers name a little differently, reflecting natural beauty, a slower pace of life, and necessary independence.
WYOMING AS A BABY NAME
Over the years, a very few children have been named Wyoming.
How did the state get its name? It turns out that the Mountain West state takes its name from a place in Pennsylvania.
Back in 1865, US Representative James Ashley of Ohio introduced a bill to establish a temporary government for “the territory of Wyoming.” He borrowed the name from Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. That Wyoming had been around for ages; a Revolutionary War battle took place there.
There’s debate about the original Wyoming’s name origin and meaning, but it’s Native American. Most sources agree it is from a Lenape word meaning “at the big river flat.”
At least one notable story involves the state’s name. The Paris family immigrated from Ukraine to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They had six children when they decided to homestead in Wyoming. Their seventh child, son Wyoming “Wy” Paris was born there in 1906. That makes him the first Jewish child born in the state.
The baby name Wyoming has appeared in the US popularity data a handful of times for girls. In 2023, seven girls were named Wyoming.
The state’s abbreviation, Wyo, does not appear in the data. Plenty of Wy- names, like Wyatt and Wylie, are more popular. And a number of names with ties to the state’s history continue to appear in the Wyoming Top 100. More on that below.
TOP TEN BOY NAMES IN WYOMING
10. WAYLON (#65 in the US)
One of those names with Western sensibility, thanks to country music’s Waylon Jennings.
9. GRAYSON (#48 in the US)
Popular everywhere, but among the most favored picks in Wyoming.
8. NOAH (#2 in the US)
While still quite popular in the state, the top names in the US fall back just a bit to make space for other choices.
7. LIAM (#1 in the US)
As with Noah, the most popular national pick slides just a bit in Wyoming.
6. HENRY (#6 in the US)
Traditional picks fare well here.
5. WILLIAM (#10 in the US)
A slightly overperformance for the most-time tested names is a hallmark of Wyoming naming.
4. THEODORE (#4 in the US)
Last year’s birth records make Theodore the top name, according to the states’ Vital Statistics Services. But the US numbers put Theodore at #4, just like the national data.
3. JAMES (#5 in the US)
Another classic just slightly ahead of national data.
2. HUDSON (#22 in the US)
Hudson’s ties to the state’s history might explain the name’s increased popularity in the state.
1. OLIVER (#3 in the US)
Very popular in the US, even more favored in Wyoming.
TOP 100 WYOMING BOY NAMES
- Oliver
- Hudson
- James
- Theodore
- William
- Henry
- Liam
- Noah
- Grayson
- Waylon
- Beau
- Ezra
- Mason
- Stetson*
- Asher
- John
- Benjamin
- Elijah
- Luke
- Maverick
- Alexander
- Logan
- Michael
- Wesley
- Bridger*
- Brooks
- Cooper
- Everett
- Luca
- Matthew
- Miles
- Samuel
- Wyatt
- Arthur*
- Beckett
- David
- Jack
- Jackson
- Levi
- Lucas
- Ryker*
- Walker
- Archer*
- Atticus*
- Calvin*
- Colter*
- Hayes*
- Jaxon
- Joseph
- Knox*
- Leo
- Parker
- Silas
- Thomas
- Weston
- Joshua
- Lincoln
- Owen
- Sawyer*
- Theo
- Adrian
- Atlas*
- Augustus*
- Axel
- Charles
- Eli
- Jameson*
- Rhett*
- Rowan
- Zayden*
- Boone*
- Elias
- Ian
- Isaac
- Jasper*
- Nolan
- Robert
- August
- Bennett
- Bentley*
- Carter
- Casey*
- Charlie*
- Christopher
- Declan*
- Elliot*
- Ethan
- Ezekiel
- Gabriel
- George*
- Hunter
- Isaiah
- Lane*
- River*
- Russell*
- Tripp*
- Wayne*
- Angel
- Arlo*
- Barrett*
* indicates that the name does not rank in the current US Top 100
TOP TEN GIRL NAMES IN WYOMING
10. AVA (#9 in the US)
A favorite nearly everywhere.
9. AMELIA (#3 in the US)
Slightly less popular in Wyoming than elsewhere.
8. EMBER (#137 in the US)
A significant overperformance for Ember in the Wyoming data reflects residents’ love of nature names.
7. SOPHIA (#6 in the US)
Nationally popular.
6. EVELYN (#8 in the US)
Last year, the state’s health information services put Evelyn in the top spot.
5. ELEANOR (#14 in the US)
As with the boys’ list, classic names fare well for girls in Wyoming, too.
4. CHARLOTTE (#4 in the US)
A favorite nationally, as well as in the state.
3. HAZEL (#19 in the US)
Like Ember, this nature name is even more appreciated in Wyoming.
2. HARPER (#12 in the US)
Possibly Harper ranks more highly in Wyoming because so many parents appreciate modern surname names. Hadley, Parker, and Sawyer all appear in the state’s Top 100. But here’s an intriguing fact: To Kill a Mockingbird name Atticus ranks in the boys’ Top 100. Could this name’s popularity reflect TKaM author Harper Lee?
1. EMMA (#2 in the US)
Popular nationally, and also at the top of popular names in Wyoming, too.
TOP 100 WYOMING GIRL NAMES
- Emma
- Harper
- Hazel
- Charlotte
- Eleanor
- Evelyn
- Sophia
- Ember*
- Amelia
- Ava
- Ivy
- Aurora
- Ellie
- Isabella
- Elizabeth
- Isla
- Willow
- Lainey
- Nova
- Paisley
- Iris
- Lucy
- Nora
- Olivia
- Avery
- Luna
- Oaklynn*
- Abigail
- Autumn
- Everly
- Hadley*
- Brynlee*
- Charlie
- Kinsley
- Maeve
- Mary*
- Mia
- Sophie
- Violet
- Claire
- Delilah
- Eloise
- Emilia
- Freya*
- Haven*
- Josephine
- Parker*
- Penelope
- Sadie
- Selah*
- Wren*
- Wrenley*
- Aria
- Aspen*
- Athena
- Audrey
- Brooklyn*
- Daisy
- Elena
- Ella
- Emersyn*
- Emery
- Evangeline*
- Hallie*
- Hannah
- Hayden*
- Lily
- Lydia
- Madison
- Naomi
- Nevaeh*
- Ophelia*
- Reese*
- Rose*
- Adalynn*
- Alaina*
- Alice
- Annabelle*
- Azalea*
- Briar*
- Brooklynn*
- Eden
- Emory*
- Finley*
- Genevieve*
- Joanna*
- Lila*
- Magnolia*
- Maisie*
- Maya
- Millie
- Oakley*
- Quincy
- Sawyer*
- Scarlett
- Zoe
- Zoey
* indicates that the name does not rank in the current US Top 100
DISTINCTIVE WYOMING PLACE NAMES
CASPER
Casper-with-an-E takes its name from the former Fort Caspar. Caspar-with-an-A was named for Caspar Collins, a young army officer who died in a skirmish with the Lakota and Cheyenne peoples in 1865. Borrowing names from history like this can feel challenging. It’s included here for two reasons. First, Casper is very much a given name, a cousin to the more popular Jasper. But also because the city’s significance in state history goes well beyond its namesake.
CHEYENNE
It feels almost dismissive to call this a place name. Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city. It became a popular given name for girls in the US during the 20th century, ranking in the US Top 1000 from 1980 onward. But it’s also the name of two Native American tribes, and as such it can feel problematic.
FERRIS
The Ferris Mountains aren’t the most significant peaks in the state, but it is one of the more name-like options.
HUDSON
We tend to think of Hudson in New York and surrounding areas. Or Canada’s Hudson Bay. But it’s also a common surname, related to Hugh, and therefore familiar on the map all over the world. A once-mighty mining town called Hudson can be found in Fremont County. It’s named for original land owners in the area.
LANDER
The town of Lander, Wyoming was named for Frederick W. Lander. He survyed the route west, and later served as a Union army officer. The name simply means land; older Germanic given names like Landric included it, too. Surname Landry is another cousin.
LARAMIE
Originally a French surname meaning “the small wood,” the city of Laramie was named for Jacques La Ramée, a French-Canadian trapper and frontiersman who disappeared in the state in the early 1920s. It’s a familiar place name across the state. The city of Laramie is also home to the University of Wyoming.
JACKSON
One of the most common place names across the US, there’s also a Jackson in Wyoming.
KAYCEE
A tiny town in Johnson County, Wyoming, with a population around 250, Kaycee makes this list because of how the town got its name. Early homesteader John Nolan used the brand “KC.” When the town incorporated, it was spelled out Kaycee. Butch Cassidy and his Hole-in-the-Wall gang headquartered near Kaycee, earning the town a place in the history of the Wild West.
SHERIDAN
As in Mount Sheridan, a peak overlooking Heart Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Speaking of Yellowstone, the majority of the national park is located with the state. Taylor Sheridan, the creator of smash hit television series – and naming inspiration source – Yellowstone, also comes to mind. That said, Dutton Ranch is located in neighboring Montana. The peak takes its name from Philip H. Sheridan, a US Army general who worked tirelessly to preserve the area as a national park.
NAMES FROM WYOMING HISTORY & SYMBOLS
GERTRUDE
Strictly speaking, Gertrude is a name from Pennsylvania. Or … Scotland? The Scottish poet Thomas Campbell penned Gertrude of Wyoming: A Pennsylvanian Tale in 1809, about the Battle of Wyoming during the American Revolution. Still, it feels like this former favorite deserves a mention here.
HOLT
The bucking rider symbol associated with the West in general is actually trademarked by Wyoming. It’s said to be inspired by an image of real-life cowboy Guy Holt on real-life horse Steambolt. It sounds like a baby name fit for The Cowboy State.
JADE
The official state gemstone.
MEADOW, LARK
Both nod to the official state bird, the meadowlark.
RIDER, RYDER
Not only is the bucking horse and rider an official state symbol, it was worn by Wyoming troops serving in Europe during World War I. Either spelling of the name seems like a subtle nod to the image.
FAMOUS WYOMING PEOPLE
BRIDGER
Virginia-born frontiersman Jim Bridger remains a legend in the American West. The frontiersman became one of the first non-indigenous people to explore the Yellowstone area. Plenty of Wyoming place names remember his contributions, including the Bridger Trail between Wyoming and Montana.
COLTER
John Colter served as a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. In 1807, he became the first American of European descent to enter what is now the state. Few believed his stories of geysers and other landmarks in the Yellowstone area.
ESTHER, ESTELLE, LOUISA
In 1869, the territory became the first in the nation to establish women’s suffrage. Wyoming has long been called The Equality State. These names honor three women who played pioneering roles during the late 19th century, as women began to exercise their rights.
NELLIE
Nellie Tayloe Ross beacme the first woman to be elected governor of a US state in 1925.
SUNDANCE
A small town in Wyoming took its name from the Native American ritual known as the Sun Dance. When outlaw Henry Longabaugh was released from the town’s jail in 1888, he became known as “the Sundance Kid.” He was part of Butch Cassidy’s gang. In 1969, blockbuster movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid immortalized his character. Robert Redford played Longabaugh. When Redford established a Utah ski resort, he named it after the character. He later established the Sundance Film Festival, hosting it at the Utah resort for decades.
THYRA
State history suggests plenty of unique choices. During the middle of the 20th century Thyra Thomson followed her late husband into politics, first winning election as Wyoming Secretary of State in 1962. (The state doesn’t have a lieutenant governor; this position is the rough equivalent.)
VERNA
The complicated story of the state flag gives credit to two women: Verna Keays Keyes and Grace Raymond Hebard.
