Cowboys used to be just cattle ranchers, but Hollywood and pop culture have built them into superheroes. Now cowboys include sheriffs riding out to protect their town, robbers trying to crack a bank, or lone gunmen with a flexible moral code.
Most cowboy names come from history, with American names from the 1800’s being the most common. That said, there was a great variety of people in the Wild West, so any old-timey name is perfect.
Good Cowboy Names
A good cowboy name is tough, like the settlers who moved west and found themselves in a lawless wasteland. Look for names that sound familiar while being old enough to have faded from common use.
- Nash
- Rhonda
- Shiloh
- Rufus
- Dixie
- Abilene
- Cassidy
- Heath
Ashley
The gunslinger responsible for clearing the rail lines of the Cascades Rail Company, riding ahead of construction and chasing off any threats.
- Fay
- Jacqueline
- Layla
- Tallulah
Wynonna
Sheriff of Boseport, said to have once made a hundred-yard shot that knocked the hat off a conman lurking around town.
- Josie
- Lucina
- Roscoe
- Ruby
- Hallie
- Calhoun
Badass Cowboy Names
Gunslinging, cattle rustling, train heisting—some cowboys are hardened by their time in the wild. The bad ones turn to crime, while the good ones become folk heroes.
- Remington
- Flint
- Decker
- Silas
- Blaze
- Liberty
- Pierce
- Solo
- Dash
Maverick
The only survivor of the Six-State Shootout which left a dozen lawmen and most of Maverick’s gang dead.
- Justice
- Tex
- Brandy
- Jericho
- Cash
Calico
Best known for burgling the Los Calamar bank, she was never caught because of the incredibly fast horse she rode.
- Sierra
- Chance
- Sterling
- Buck
Famous Cowboy Names
History is packed full of famous cowboys, many from the Wild West. These are names that became famous as defenders of justice or as bold criminals.
- Bass
- Lillian
- Clay
- Bart
- Connie
- Starr
- Billy
- Curly
Dallas
Famed for his hand with only two fingers, each lost when he was repeatedly caught stealing.
- Butch
- Doc
- Holliday
- Dutch
- Eleanor
- Bose
Elfego
A marshall who wandered the desert on horseback as a self-proclaimed “peace officer,” hunting down bandits.
- Cole
- Emmett
- Bee
- Kitty
Funny Cowboy Names
Cowboys know how to have fun like the rest of us, and their names might come from an inside joke, a pun, or just hold an ironic twist. A silly name doesn’t mean they shoot any worse.
- Levi
- Denver
- Rye
- Bronco
- Georgia
- Sunny
- Dodge
- Montana
- Roosevelt
Dakota
A rancher from the mountains who inherited farmland from several family members, becoming a local cattle magnate.
- Minnie
- Blossom
- River
- Savannah
- Gertie
Fanny
Formerly a madame in the big city, once her workplace burned down she took her business on the road in her famously lavish carriage.
- Collie
- Cheyenne
- Houston
- Huckleberry
Through good deeds or bad, cowboys often make a name for themselves, so it ought to be a memorable name. Did this article help you pick a great cowboy name? Drop us a comment if you found this article useful, and share it with your friends!
