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The short answer
Hudson is a masculine English given name taken from a surname. Behind the Name gives the surname as meaning "son of Hudde"; Wikipedia describes Hudson as "an English masculine given name which originated from the surname Hudson" and glosses it "son of Hugh". The two readings are compatible if Hudde is a medieval pet form of Hugh, but that link was not verified in this pass, because the Behind the Name entry for Hudde was not available. The surname's most famous bearer is the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570–1611). As a first name it is a recent favourite: it ranked #17 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name derives Hudson "from an English surname meaning 'son of Hudde'", and links the element Hudde to its own entry, which was not in the cache for this pass, so the meaning of Hudde itself is not verified here. Wikipedia gives the surname's meaning as "son of Hugh". Both agree that the given name comes from the surname and that the surname is a patronymic ("son of ..."); they differ only in whether the father's name is written as Hudde or as Hugh. Confidence is marked "likely" rather than "established" because the connection between the two glosses was not confirmed against a source.
Editorial confidence: likely
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English (surname) | Hudson | son of Hudde (Behind the Name) / son of Hugh (Wikipedia) |
| Medieval English | Hudde | given name behind the surname; its own gloss not verified in this pass |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name: "son of Hudde". Wikipedia: "son of Hugh". These may be the same derivation stated at different depths (Hudde as a form of Hugh), but no consulted source states that link explicitly, so it is recorded here as an open question rather than resolved.
History of the name
The sources consulted give the given name almost no early history. Behind the Name names the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570–1611) as a famous bearer of the surname. Wikipedia's list of people with the given name reaches back to the 18th and 19th centuries, with figures such as the British general Hudson Lowe (1769–1844), the English writer and politician Hudson Gurney (1775–1864) and the American Spiritualist author Hudson Tuttle (1836–1910), and forward to the Australian Qantas co-founder Hudson Fysh (1895–1974) and a cluster of bearers born in the 2000s, which fits the name's recent rise. Wikipedia supplies no ranking or popularity narrative; the only rank in this profile is the 2025 SSA figure.
| Period | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1570–1611 | Henry Hudson, English explorer, is the surname's famous bearer (Behind the Name). |
| 1769–1864 | Early given-name bearers named by Wikipedia: Hudson Lowe (1769–1844) and Hudson Gurney (1775–1864). |
| 1895–1974 | Hudson Fysh, Australian WWI soldier and co-founder of Qantas Airways. |
| 2000s | Several bearers listed by Wikipedia are born in this decade (Hudson Card, Hudson Williams, Hudson Yang, Hudson Meek). |
| 2025 | Hudson ranks #17 for boys in the United States (SSA). |
Popularity
Hudson ranked #17 for boys in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration); the cached Behind the Name entry records the same 2025 US rank. Neither Behind the Name nor Wikipedia gives a longer popularity history for the given name, so no earlier snapshots are included.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #17 | ssa-2025 |
Pronunciation around the world
English Hudson is /ˈhʌd.sən/, HUD-sən, with the stress on the first syllable. Behind the Name lists no forms in other languages; as an English surname-name it is spelled the same wherever it is used, and no foreign pronunciations were verified in this pass.
| Language or region | Pronunciation | Local forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | /ˈhʌd.sən/ — HUD-sən | Hudson |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: None documented.
Related names: Hudde, Hugh, Henry
What the name feels like
Hudson has the two things the current wave of surname-names prizes: a strong consonant start and the -son ending that also carries Jackson, Mason, Carson and Grayson. It comes pre-loaded with associations that feel rugged and expansive, an explorer and a river, without any one of them being so specific that the name feels borrowed. That makes it read modern and outdoorsy rather than preppy. Parents drawn to Hudson usually have Jackson, Lincoln, Easton and Bennett on the same list.
Style tags: surname name, patronymic, modern, top 20, -son ending
Editorial interpretation: The style paragraph and the recommendations below are editorial judgment, not fact. The river and explorer associations are the writer's, not a claim about why parents choose the name, and nothing here changes the documented surname etymology.
People and stories associated with the name
The surname's fame comes from an explorer; the given name's bearers are a mix of 19th-century British public figures and recent performers and athletes. All are named in the Behind the Name or Wikipedia entries consulted.
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Hudson (1570–1611) | historical | English explorer; famous bearer of the surname, per Behind the Name. |
| Hudson Lowe (1769–1844) | historical | British army general. |
| Hudson Gurney (1775–1864) | historical | English writer and politician. |
| Hudson Tuttle (1836–1910) | historical | American Spiritualist author and publisher. |
| Hudson Kearley, 1st Viscount Devonport (1856–1934) | historical | British politician. |
| Hudson Fysh (1895–1974) | historical | Australian WWI soldier and co-founder of Qantas Airways. |
| Hudson Leick (born 1969) | contemporary | American actress. |
| Hudson Mohawke (born 1986) | contemporary | Scottish electronic music producer. |
| Hudson Card (born 2001) | contemporary | American football player. |
| Hudson Yang (born 2003) | contemporary | American actor. |
If you like this name
Names that share Hudson's surname-name style, its English patronymic origin, or its sound.
Similar by style
Similar by origin
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Hudson mean?
Hudson comes from an English surname. Behind the Name glosses it "son of Hudde"; Wikipedia glosses it "son of Hugh". Both agree it is a patronymic surname turned first name; the link between Hudde and Hugh was not verified in this pass.
Is Hudson a popular name?
Yes. Hudson ranked #17 among boys' names in the United States in 2025.
Is Hudson named after Henry Hudson?
The given name comes from the surname, and Behind the Name names the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570–1611) as the surname's famous bearer. The sources do not say that parents choose the first name because of him.
Is Hudson a boy's name or a girl's name?
Behind the Name labels Hudson masculine, and it appears on the US boys' list, ranking #17 in 2025.
How do you pronounce Hudson?
HUD-sən (IPA /ˈhʌd.sən/), with the stress on the first syllable.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Hudson — supports etymology (son of Hudde), pronunciation, Henry Hudson, gender label, 2025 US rank.
- Wikipedia: Hudson (given name) — supports surname origin, etymology (son of Hugh), notable bearers.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
