Cowboy Last Names

These cowboy last names are real surnames of the kind carried by ranching families, trail hands and rodeo riders across Texas, the Great Plains and the Mountain West, each listed with its origin and meaning.

189 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Abbott

Priest or abbot; Teddy Blue Abbott drove cattle to Montana

English
Adair

Scottish form of Edgar; John Adair, partner in the JA Ranch

Scottish
Adams

Son of Adam; Andy Adams wrote The Log of a Cowboy

English
Armstrong

Nickname for a strong-armed man; the Armstrong Ranch of South Texas

English
Austin

From Augustine; Stephen Austin brought settlers and cattle to Texas

English
Autry

Probably from French Autry; Gene Autry, singing cowboy and rodeo owner

French

B

Babcock

Pet form of Bartholomew; Amos Babcock, XIT Ranch partner

English
Baxter

Baker; Baxter Springs, Kansas, end of the Shawnee Trail

Scottish
Bent

Dweller by bent grass; Bent's Fort on the Santa Fe Trail

English
Blancett

Diminutive of Old French blanc, white; cowgirl Bertha Blancett

English
Blocker

Maker of blocks; Ab Blocker, legendary Texas trail boss

English
Boone

From Old French bon, good

English
Borein

Of uncertain origin; Edward Borein, cowboy artist and etcher

English
Bowie

Gaelic buidhe, yellow-haired; the Bowie knife

Scottish
Boyd

From the Isle of Bute, or Gaelic buidhe, yellow

Scottish
Bozeman

Probably Dutch Bosman, woodsman; John Bozeman blazed the Bozeman Trail

Dutch
Brand

From Old Norse brandr, a sword or firebrand

English
Brazile

Possibly from French or Portuguese Brasil; roping legend Trevor Brazile

French
Bugbee

Possibly from Bugby, an English place; Thomas Bugbee's Panhandle ranch

English
Bullock

Keeper of bullocks, young bulls

English
Burnett

Nickname for brown hair; Burk Burnett founded the Four Sixes Ranch

Scottish

C

Caldwell

Cold spring; Caldwell, Kansas, on the Chisholm Trail

Scottish
Calhoun

Variant of Colquhoun, a Scottish barony

Scottish
Camarillo

Spanish place name; team roping champion Leo Camarillo

Spanish
Cantú

Of uncertain origin, possibly from Cantù in Lombardy; a Tejano ranching name

Spanish
Canutt

Of uncertain origin; bronc rider and stuntman Yakima Canutt

English
Carey

Irish Ó Ciardha, dark; Joseph Carey's Wyoming CY Ranch

Irish
Carter

Driver of carts

English
Cator

Caterer, a buyer of provisions; Cator brothers, Panhandle buffalo hunters

English
Chisholm

Scottish Borders place, water meadow; Jesse Chisholm gave the trail its name

Scottish
Chisum

Variant of Chisholm; John Chisum, New Mexico cattle king

Scottish
Coburn

Scottish place, stream of the wild cock

Scottish
Cody

Irish Mac Oda, son of Odo; Buffalo Bill Cody

Irish
Coggin

Possibly from Welsh coch, red; the Coggin brothers, Texas cattlemen

Welsh
Colt

Nickname for a frisky young person; Samuel Colt's revolvers

English
Colter

Keeper of colts, a horse-minded occupational name

English
Coltman

Keeper of colts, a horse breeder

English
Colton

Farm of a man named Cola

English
Cowherd

Keeper of a herd of cows

English
Crockett

Possibly Old French crochet, hook; also a famous spurmaking family

Scottish

D

Dalton

Farm in a valley

English
Dawson

Son of Daw, a pet form of David

English
Dewees

Dutch or Welsh origin, uncertain; the Ellison and Dewees trail outfit

Dutch
Doan

Irish Ó Dubháin, dark; Doan's Crossing on the Western Trail

Irish
Dobie

Scottish pet form of Robert; J. Frank Dobie, chronicler of longhorns

Scottish
Dodge

Pet form of Roger; Dodge City, queen of the cow towns

English
Driscoll

Irish Ó hEidirsceoil, interpreter; South Texas ranching family

Irish
Drover

One who drove cattle to market

English

E

East

Dweller to the east; the East family ranch of South Texas

English
Ellison

Son of Ellis, Elijah; James Ellison, Texas trail boss

English
Ellsworth

Elli's enclosure; Ellsworth, Kansas, a Texas cattle trail town

English
Ellwood

Place name, elder wood; Isaac Ellwood sold barbed wire west

English
Etbauer

German farming name; the Etbauer brothers of saddle bronc fame

German

F

Fant

From Old French enfant, child; Dillard Fant, Texas trail driver

English
Farrier

Blacksmith who shod horses

English
Farwell

From a farewell greeting; the Farwell brothers ran the XIT Ranch

English
Feild

Variant of Field, open land; saddle bronc champion Kaycee Feild

English
Fergus

Gaelic Fearghus, man of force; James Fergus, Montana rancher

Scottish
Fielder

Dweller or worker in open fields

English
French

Someone from France; Pete French, Oregon cattle baron

English
Frewen

From Old English Freowine, noble friend; Moreton Frewen's Wyoming ranch

English
Frost

Nickname for a white-haired person; bull rider Lane Frost

English

G

Gallup

Possibly from Old French galoper, to gallop; Gallup saddles of Pueblo

English
Garrett

From Gerard, spear-hardy

English
Garza

Heron, from Spanish garza; a Tejano ranching name of South Texas

Spanish
Gates

Dweller by the town gates; Bet-a-Million Gates sold barbed wire in Texas

English
Glidden

Possibly from a Norman place; Joseph Glidden patented barbed wire

English
Goodnight

Nickname from a greeting; Charles Goodnight, Texas trail driver and rancher

English
Grant

From Old French grand, tall; Johnny Grant began the Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Scottish
Grazier

One who grazes cattle on pasture

English
Greenough

Green hill; the Greenough family of Montana rodeo riders

English
Gunter

Germanic Gunther, battle army; Jot Gunter of the T Anchor Ranch

German

H

Haish

German origin; Jacob Haish, barbed wire rival of Glidden

German
Halladay

Holy day, a festival birth name; Daniel Halladay built the ranch windmill

English
Hamley

English place, Hamo's clearing; Hamley saddles of Pendleton, Oregon

English
Hanley

Irish Ó hÁinle, or a high clearing; Bill Hanley, Oregon rancher

Irish
Hardin

Son of Harding, the hardy one

English
Harlan

Dweller by a hare-haunted boundary

English
Hayes

Dweller by an enclosure or hedge

English
Heiser

German, from a pet form of Heinrich; Denver saddlemaker Hermann Heiser

German
Henderson

Son of Hendry, Henry; cowgirl Prairie Rose Henderson

Scottish
Herd

Scottish word for a herdsman

Scottish
Herdman

Keeper of a herd of livestock

English
Hittson

Son of Hitt, uncertain origin; John Hittson, Texas cattleman

English
Horseman

Mounted soldier or keeper of horses

English
Houston

Hugh's farm, a Scottish place

Scottish
Hunter

One who hunts; J. Marvin Hunter compiled The Trail Drivers of Texas

English
Hyer

Possibly German Heier; the Hyer brothers, Kansas bootmakers

German

I

Ikard

Probably of German or English origin; Bose Ikard rode with Goodnight

English
Iliff

Possibly from Ayliffe, from Old English Æthelgifu, noble gift; John Iliff, Colorado cattle king

English

J

Justin

From Latin Justinus, just; H. J. Justin made cowboy boots

English

K

Kaaua

Hawaiian family name; paniolo Archie Kaaua roped at Cheyenne in 1908

Hawaiian
Kelton

Scottish place name; Elmer Kelton wrote ranch-country novels

Scottish
Kendrick

Welsh Cynwrig, chief hero; John Kendrick, trail driver turned Wyoming senator

Welsh
Kenedy

Scottish form of Irish Ó Cinnéide; Mifflin Kenedy, South Texas rancher

Scottish
King

Nickname for a regal person; Richard King founded the King Ranch

English
Kleberg

German, clover hill; the family that ran the King Ranch

German
Knight

Mounted servant or soldier; Canadian bronc champion Pete Knight

English
Kohrs

German name from Konrad; Conrad Kohrs, Montana cattle baron

German
Kokernot

Dutch family name; the 06 Ranch of West Texas

Dutch

L

Lasater

Variant of Lassiter, from Leicester; Ed Lasater created Beefmaster cattle

English
Leatherman

Worker or dealer in leather goods

English
Lillie

Pet form of Elizabeth, or lily; Pawnee Bill Lillie's Wild West

Scottish
Linderman

German dweller by lime trees; rodeo champion Bill Linderman

German
Littlefield

Dweller by a small field; George Littlefield, Texas trail driver

English
Lorimer

Maker of bits, spurs and metal bridle fittings

Scottish
Love

Nickname from love, or Norman louve, wolf; cowboy Nat Love

English
Loving

Nickname for a beloved person; Oliver Loving of the Goodnight-Loving Trail

English
Low

Dweller by a burial mound; Eben Low, Hawaiian paniolo

English
Lucchese

From Lucca in Tuscany; the Lucchese family of San Antonio bootmakers

Italian
Lux

German from Lukas, or Luxembourg; Charles Lux of Miller and Lux ranching

German
Lytle

Scottish form of Little; John Lytle, pioneer Texas trail driver

Scottish

M

Mackenzie

Son of Coinneach, comely; Murdo Mackenzie managed the Matador Ranch

Scottish
Mahan

Irish Ó Macháin; Larry Mahan, six-time all-around rodeo champion

Irish
Marshall

Originally a horse servant, from Germanic marh and scalc

English
Matthews

Son of Matthew; the Matthews family of Lambshead Ranch

English
Mauney

Possibly Irish or Scots in origin; bull rider J. B. Mauney

Irish
Maverick

English name of uncertain origin; Samuel Maverick's unbranded calves named mavericks

English
Maxwell

Scottish place, Maccus's pool; Lucien Maxwell's New Mexico land grant

Scottish
McCarroll

Son of Cearbhall, fierce in battle; bronc rider Bonnie McCarroll

Irish
McChesney

Scottish place name; J. R. McChesney made bits and spurs

Scottish
McCoy

Son of Aodh, fire; Joseph McCoy made Abilene a cattle town

Scottish
Meanea

Uncertain origin; Frank Meanea made saddles in Cheyenne

English
Mercer

Merchant, especially of fine cloth

English
Miller

Grinder of grain; the Miller brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West show

English
Mix

Pet form of Maximilian or Michael; rodeo rider Tom Mix

English
Mote

Dweller by a moat or mound; bareback rider Bobby Mote

English
Mulhall

Irish Ó Maolchathail; Lucille Mulhall, the first cowgirl

Irish
Murray

Scottish Moray, seaboard settlement; Ty Murray, king of the cowboys

Scottish

N

Newton

New farm; Newton, Kansas, a rowdy railhead cow town

English

O

O'Connor

Irish Ó Conchobhair, lover of hounds; Texas coastal ranching family

Irish
Olive

From the olive tree or Oliver; Print Olive, Nebraska trail driver

English
Oropeza

Spanish place name, Oropesa; Vicente Oropeza, trick roping pioneer

Spanish
Ostler

Stableman who cared for horses at an inn

English

P

Palfreyman

Keeper of palfreys, gentle riding horses

English
Parker

Park keeper; John Parker founded Hawaii's great Parker Ranch

English
Pendleton

Lancashire place, hill farm; the Pendleton Round-Up rodeo

English
Pickett

Diminutive of pic, a point; Bill Pickett invented bulldogging

English
Pierce

From Piers, Peter; Shanghai Pierce, flamboyant Texas cattleman

English
Prescott

Priest's cottage; Prescott, Arizona, bills its rodeo as the world's oldest

English
Prowers

Possibly an English place name; John Prowers, Colorado cattleman

English
Pryor

Servant of a priory; Ike Pryor drove huge herds up the trail

English
Purdy

From Old French pour Dieu, for God; paniolo champion Ikua Purdy

English

R

Remington

From Rimington in Yorkshire; Frederic Remington painted cowboys

English
Reynolds

Son of Reynold, counsel and rule; Reynolds cattle family of Texas

English
Rider

Mounted man, a rider or messenger

English
Rogers

Son of Roger, fame spear; trick roper Will Rogers

English
Roper

Rope maker, a fitting name for a calf roper

English
Rowe

Dweller by a row of houses or hedges; RO Ranch founders

English
Russell

Nickname for red hair; Charles M. Russell, the cowboy artist

English
Ryder

Mounted warrior or messenger, Old English ridere

English

S

Saddler

Maker of saddles and harness

English
Sadler

Saddle maker, from Old English sadol

English
Salinas

Salt pans or salt works; a Tejano ranching family name

Spanish
Sanborn

Sandy stream, a place name; Henry Sanborn sold barbed wire to ranchers

English
Saunders

Son of Sander, Alexander; George Saunders led the old trail drivers

English
Sheridan

Irish Ó Sirideáin; Sheridan, Wyoming, ranching and rodeo town

Irish
Shoulders

Possibly a nickname for broad shoulders; rodeo great Jim Shoulders

English
Siringo

Italian family name; Charlie Siringo wrote the first cowboy autobiography

Italian
Slaughter

Gloucestershire place, muddy spot; C. C. Slaughter, Texas cattle baron

English
Snyder

Dutch snijder, tailor; the Snyder brothers drove herds north

Dutch
Spurrier

Maker of spurs for riders

English
Stabler

Worker in the stables

English
Steers

Keeper of steers, young oxen

English
Stetson

Of uncertain English origin; John B. Stetson made the cowboy hat

English
Stockman

Keeper of livestock, or dweller by tree stumps

English
Story

Old Norse Stori, big; Nelson Story drove Texas cattle to Montana

English
Strauss

German for ostrich or bouquet; Levi Strauss made riveted work jeans

Jewish
Strickland

Pasture for young cattle; champion cowgirl Mabel Strickland

English
Stuart

Steward of a household; Granville Stuart, Montana rancher and vigilante

Scottish
Studebaker

German Studebecker; the family built wagons for the West

German
Swan

Keeper of swans; Alexander Swan's vast Wyoming cattle company

English
Swenson

Son of Sven; the Swedish-born owner of the SMS ranches

Nordic

T

Tanner

Tanner of hides into leather

English
Tate

From Old Norse Teitr, cheerful

English
Tibbs

Son of Tibb, a pet form of Theobald; bronc rider Casey Tibbs

English
Tompkins

Son of little Tom; rodeo champion Harry Tompkins

English
Travis

Toll collector at a crossing; a Texas name

English
Treviño

From Treviño, a place in Burgos; a Tejano ranching family name

Spanish
Tucker

Fuller of cloth; a common name among Southern and frontier families

English

W

Wade

Dweller by a ford, a wading place

English
Waggoner

Wagon driver; the Waggoner family's huge Three D Texas ranch

English
Wainwright

Builder of wagons, wain maker

English
Walker

Fuller who walked on cloth; common in Texas ranch country

English
Wheeler

Maker of wheels for wagons

English
Whitfield

White field; tie-down roping champion Fred Whitfield

English
Wiley

Dweller by a willow wood, or a crafty person

English
Winchester

From the English city Winchester; the repeating rifle of the range

English

Y

Yturria

Basque name, place of springs; South Texas ranching family

Spanish

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Tanner

Tanner of hides into leather

English
Adair

Scottish form of Edgar; John Adair, partner in the JA Ranch

Scottish
Fergus

Gaelic Fearghus, man of force; James Fergus, Montana rancher

Scottish
Tucker

Fuller of cloth; a common name among Southern and frontier families

English
Ikard

Probably of German or English origin; Bose Ikard rode with Goodnight

English
Cator

Caterer, a buyer of provisions; Cator brothers, Panhandle buffalo hunters

English

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Where cowboy last names come from

Many Western names came west with Scots-Irish and English families from Appalachia and the South. McCoy, Crockett, Boone, Tucker, Walker, Dalton and Cody all have roots in Britain and Ireland, and they spread through Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas before reaching the plains. Their short, sturdy sound became part of the Western image, helped along by dime novels, films and country songs.

Ranching itself began with the Mexican vaquero, and Spanish words such as rodeo, lariat, corral and ranch show that heritage. Tejano ranching families in South Texas carry names such as Garza, Treviño, Cantú and Salinas. Black cowboys were also central to the cattle trade, among them Nat Love and Bill Pickett, and Native American riders worked on ranches across the West.

Trail drives, ranches and rodeo families

After the Civil War, cattle were driven north from Texas to railheads in Kansas. The Chisholm Trail took its name from Jesse Chisholm, a trader of Scottish and Cherokee descent, and the Goodnight-Loving Trail from the cattlemen Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. Joseph McCoy helped make Abilene a cattle shipping town. Names like these turn up again and again in the history of the trail drives.

The great ranches produced their own dynasties. Richard King and Mifflin Kenedy built huge operations in South Texas, and the Kleberg family later ran the King Ranch. Rodeo grew out of ranch work contests, and Bill Pickett is credited with inventing bulldogging, or steer wrestling. Many rodeo families today still pass ranch land and skills from one generation to the next.

Naming characters for a Western story

Western names tend to be short and plain. Pair a one or two syllable surname with a simple first name, such as Cole Walker, Etta Boone, Wade Garza or Clara Tucker. Hard consonants give a rugged feel, while names like Goodnight or Loving add warmth. Avoid stacking obvious Western words, since a name like Colt Rider can sound like parody unless that is the point.

These names work for Western novels, screenplays, tabletop and video games, country music stage names and horse show programmes. Parents also choose surnames like Boone, Walker, Tucker and Colt as first names. If your story is set in South Texas or New Mexico, include Spanish surnames for realism, and use the search box and letter bar to find names that fit your setting.

Frequently asked questions

What are real cowboy last names from history?

Goodnight, Loving, Chisholm, McCoy, King, Kleberg and Pickett all belong to real figures of the cattle trade. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving blazed a trail, Jesse Chisholm gave his name to another, and Bill Pickett pioneered steer wrestling. The list above includes many more names with their origins.

Who was the Chisholm Trail named after?

The trail was named after Jesse Chisholm, a trader of Scottish and Cherokee descent who established a wagon road through Indian Territory. After the Civil War, cattle drivers used his route to move herds from Texas to the railheads in Kansas.

Were many cowboys Mexican or Black?

Yes. Historians agree that a large share of working cowboys were Mexican, Mexican American, Black or Native American. The vaquero tradition shaped cowboy skills and vocabulary, and Black cowboys such as Nat Love and Bill Pickett became well known figures of the West.

Can Walker or Tucker be used as first names?

Yes. Walker, Tucker, Boone and Colt are used as first names in the United States, especially for boys, and they carry a rugged Western feel. Pair them with a surname of a different length or rhythm so the full name sounds balanced.