What Does the Name Hudson Mean?

Hudson is a boy's name of English origin meaning “son of Hudde (a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard).”

Updated June 2026

Name	Hudson
Gender	male
Origin	English
Meaning	son of Hudde (a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard)
Variants	Hudde, Hugh, Hewson
Popularity	A consistent US Top 100 boys' name since the 2010s, peaking in the top 50.

The meaning and origin of Hudson

The name Hudson means “son of Hudde (a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard)” and has English origins. Hudson originated as an English surname meaning "son of Hudde," Hudde being a medieval nickname for Hugh or Richard. It became widely used as a given name in the 2000s and is associated with the explorer Henry Hudson and New York's Hudson River.

Variants and related names

Hudson is related to several other names you may recognize: Hudde, Hugh, Hewson. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Hudson?

A consistent US Top 100 boys' name since the 2010s, peaking in the top 50.

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