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 Texas : Feature : Columns : "They shoe horses, don't they?"

Texas on a First-name Basis

by Luke Warm
They shoe horse
Of the roughly 2,000 town names on the official state map, over 400 of them are first names. Nearly all the familiar names are there, as well as a few exotic or archaic ones. Towns were named after founders, settlers, first postmasters and storkeepers (often the same person), heroes, politicians, railroad engineers, railroad officials, surveyors, lawmen and at least one ranchhand. Many were named after women, although the ratio of male-named towns outnumbers towns named after women 242 to 175.
Towns Named after Male first names: (242)
Abner, Ace, Adrian, Albert, Alexander, Alfred, Allen, Alton, Alvin, Ambrose, Andres, Andy, Angus, Anson, Anthony, Antonio, Arney, Art, Arthur, Asa, Augustus, Austin, Bailey, Barry, Bedford, Benjamin, Bernard, Betram, Bob, Boyd, Brad, Brady, Brice, Brooks, Bruce, Bryan, Bryce, Buck, Buford, Burgess, Burke, Burton, Calvin, Cameron, Carey, Carl, Carlos, Carson, Carter, Carey, Charles, Charlie, Chester, Clark, Claude, Clay, Clayton, Cleo, Clint, Clyde, Coy, Craig, Curtis, Dale, Dalllas, Dalton, Damon, Dan, Daniel, Davy, Dean, Dell, Dennis, Denny, Dewey, Dexter, Diego, Donie, Douglas, Doyle, Dudley, Dwight, Earle, Eddy, Edgar, Elbert, Elgin, Elliot, Elmo, Elton, Ely, Enoch, Ephriam, Erwin, Esteban, Everett, Ewell, Felipe, Fernando, Floyd, Forrest, Fostoria, Frank, Franklin, Fred, Frederick, Gabriel, Gary, George, Glen, Glenn, Graham, Grant, Gregg, Gus, Guy, Hamlin, Hampton, Harrold, Henry, Herbert, Herman, Hiram, Howard, Iago, Ike, Ira, Irby, Ivan, Jack, Jacob, Jake, James, Jasper, Jay, Jeff, Jim, Jimmy, Joaquin, Joel, John, Jose, Joshua, Juan, Jud, Justin, Keith, Kelly, Kent, Kermit, King, Knox, Kyle, Lamar, Laurel, Laurence, Lee, Leo, Leon, Leland, Leonard, Leroy, Lewis, Lloyd, Lorenzo, Luis, Luther, Marco, Marshall, Mart, Martin, Marvin, Matthew, Maurice, Melvin, Milburn, Miguel, Miles, Milton, Mitchell, Monroe, Morris, Morton, Neal, Newt, Newton, Nolan, Norman, Oliver, Ollie, Oscar, Otis, Patrick, Paul, Pedro, Perry, Preston, Quanah, Ralph, Randall, Ray, Raymond, Reagan, Rex, Ricardo, Riley, Rob, Roddy, Roland, Roscoe, Roy, Rudolph, Rush, Russell, Ryan, Scott, Sherman, Sidney, Silas, Solomon, Sterling, Sylvester, Taylor, Temple, Terrell, Thomas, Travis, Trent, Troy, Valentine, Van, Vernon, Vicente, Victor, Vincent, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Weldon, Wendell, Wesley, Whon, Willard, William, Wilson, Winfield, Wylie, Ygnacio
Towns Named after Female names: (175)
Ada, Adell, Ady, Agnes, Alice, Althea, Aldine, Allison, Alma, Amanda, Amelia, Amy, Angelina, Anna, Anneta, Ashley, Aubrey, Audrey, Augusta, Aurelia, Aurora
, Bebe, Belle, Bess, Bessie, Bettie, Bettina, Beverly, Beulah, Bonnie, Bonita, Camilla, Caterina, Celeste, Charlotte, Chita, Clairette, Crystal, Daphne, Davilla, Dawn, Delia, Della, Desdemona, Diana, Dixie, Delores, Donna, Dora, Ebony, Edna, Elba, Elena, Elizabeth, Ella, Ellen, Elmina, Eloise, Elsa, Emma, Emory, Eola, Era, Erna, Estelle, Etta, Eula, Eunice, Fairlie, Fairy, Fate, Fay, Flo, Flora, Florence, Frances, Francitas, Gail, Gayle, Geneva, Gladys, Grace, Gustine, Helena, Hilda, Holly, Hope, Hub, Ida, Ilka, Inez, Iola, Irene, Isabel, Jane, Jean, Jewell, Jo, Josephine, Joy, Joyce, June, Karen, Kate, Katherine, Katy, LaRose, Lela, Leigh, Leila, Lena, Leona, Lesley, Lillian, Lillie, Linn, Lissie, Lois, Lolita, Lora, Lorena, Lorraine, Lotta, Lou, Louisa, Lydia, Lynn, Madison, Margaret, Margarita, Maria, Marion, Martha, Mary, Maud, May, Melissa, Mercedes, Merle, Merrill, Mildred, Minerva, Mona, Monica, Mozelle, Myra, Myrtle, Nancy, Natalia, Nell, Ola, Olga, Olive, Orla, Pansy, Patricia, Paulina, Pearl, Peggy, Penelope, Perlita, Polly, Ramona, Rebecca, Rhoda, Rosely, Rosita, Rowena, Roxana, Sarita, Thalia, Thelma, Velma, Vera, Victoria, Viola, Violet, Vivian, Winnie, and Zella
© John Troesser
"They shoe horses, don't they?"
- December 20, 2004 Column

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