| Hudson | Grayson | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Son of Hugh | Son of the steward |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HUD-sun | GRAY-sun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1905 |
| Peak year | 2025 (8,583) | 2017 (8,718) |
| In 2025 | 8,583 | 5,805 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hudson | Grayson |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 46,951 | 40,746 |
| 2010s | 51,463 | 66,408 |
| 2000s | 12,220 | 14,167 |
| 1990s | 1,496 | 4,732 |
| 1980s | 294 | 1,092 |
| 1970s | 133 | 393 |
| 1960s | 146 | 282 |
| 1950s | 200 | 247 |
| 1940s | 235 | 241 |
| 1930s | 255 | 212 |
| 1920s | 384 | 273 |
| 1910s | 334 | 189 |
| 1900s | 75 | 12 |
| 1890s | 67 | 0 |
| 1880s | 34 | 0 |
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.
Grayson comes from an English surname meaning “son of the greyward (a steward)” or “son of Gray.” A surname-name that soared for boys in recent decades.
Hudson is more popular than Grayson today: about 8,583 US babies were given the name Hudson in 2025, compared with 5,805 named Grayson.
Hudson means Son of Hugh (English origin), while Grayson means Son of the steward (English origin).
In US records, Hudson first appears in 1880 and Grayson in 1905, so Hudson has the longer recorded history.