Boy · #6,546 in 2026

Bronco

A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock.

Current Rank
#6,546
Peak Rank
#3,946 (2022)
Total Babies
143
5-Yr Trend
+57%
1960
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#3946
Peak Rank
143
Total Count
16
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bronco

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The term comes from the Spanish language word bronco meaning "rough" (adj), or "gruff" (n), which in Mexican usage also describes the horse. It was borrowed and adapted in U.S. cowboy jargon . It has also been spelled "broncho", though this form is virtually unknown in the western United States , where the word is most common. In modern English, the "o" is commonly dropped, particularly in the American West , and the animal is simply called a " bronc ". Many other instances of cowboy jargon were similarly borrowed from Mexican cowboys, including words such as lariat , chaps , and "buckaroo" ,

The Story of Bronco

American parents first put Bronco on the record books as a baby boy name in 1960, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 15 Broncos were born — ranking #5,867 that year. About 55% of every Bronco on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Bronco ranks #6,546 for baby boys with 12 births, rising sharply (+57% over the past five years). All told, over 143 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Bronco

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bronco is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bronco

What does the name Bronco mean?
A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock.
How popular is Bronco in 2026?
In 2026, Bronco ranks #6,546 among boys' names in the U.S., with 12 babies given the name that year.
When was Bronco most popular?
Bronco reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #3,946 that year with 15 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Bronco most popular?
Bronco has historically been most popular in Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bronco.
Is Bronco a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Bronco is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Bronco?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bronco include Daktari, Edmondo, Marlvin. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Daktari
Peak #3946
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Edmondo
Peak #3946
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Marlvin
Peak #3946
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Migdalia
Peak #3946
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Rundy
Peak #3946
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Saintjohn
Peak #3946
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Teral
Peak #3946
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Tracye
Peak #3946

About the name Bronco

Bronco is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1960 and has accumulated 143 births in the dataset. Bronco's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #3,946. Use the chart and map above to compare Bronco's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.