Bud

Did you know?

A few things about Bud you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Bud

Bud Powell

American jazz pianist and composer (1924–1966)

Choose Bud and your child shares a first name with Bud Powell, an American jazz pianist and composer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bud, like who?” Bud Powell's Wikipedia article is available in 34 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Bud Powell on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Distributed by the Gale Agency in New York. Photographer uncredited and unknown., Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 142,857 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Bud, 12 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bud would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryBud has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Buds, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1889, when it ranked #233. Today it's #6,803, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowBud is 2.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 322,581 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 142,857.
• 🚀TrendBud has climbed 1,936 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #6,803. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.

About the name Bud

Bud is a boy name of American and English origin. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-bud”. US birth records list Bud for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 139 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked #233 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #6,803, with 12 babies.

Origin:American namesEnglish names