| Cooper | Hudson | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Barrel maker | Son of Hugh |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KOO-per | HUD-sun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1882 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (7,472) | 2025 (8,583) |
| In 2025 | 7,472 | 8,583 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Cooper | Hudson |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 33,528 | 46,951 |
| 2010s | 49,273 | 51,463 |
| 2000s | 32,438 | 12,220 |
| 1990s | 6,274 | 1,496 |
| 1980s | 1,020 | 294 |
| 1970s | 238 | 133 |
| 1960s | 155 | 146 |
| 1950s | 118 | 200 |
| 1940s | 117 | 235 |
| 1930s | 135 | 255 |
| 1920s | 172 | 384 |
| 1910s | 163 | 334 |
| 1900s | 20 | 75 |
| 1890s | 21 | 67 |
| 1880s | 30 | 34 |
Cooper is an English occupational surname for a maker of barrels and casks.
Hudson comes from an English surname meaning “son of Hudde,” a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard. It also recalls the Hudson River, named for explorer Henry Hudson.
Hudson is more popular than Cooper today: about 8,583 US babies were given the name Hudson in 2025, compared with 7,472 named Cooper.
Cooper means Barrel maker (English origin), while Hudson means Son of Hugh (English origin).
In US records, Cooper first appears in 1882 and Hudson in 1880, so Hudson has the longer recorded history.