Bronx is a place name derived from the Dutch settler Jonas Bronck, whose farm "Broncks Land" gave New York's northernmost borough its name in the 17th century. Ranked #1294 with a peak in 2022 and about 2,200 total SSA uses, Bronx is a name that announces exactly where it comes from, New York City — and wears that identity without apology.
Pete Wentz Made It a Name
When Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz and singer Ashlee Simpson named their son Bronx Mowgli Wentz in 2008, the choice generated substantial media attention. Celebrity baby names like this serve as naming permission slips — they demonstrate that a word or place that previously seemed unnameable can, in fact, function as a given name. Bronx entered the SSA records shortly after that announcement and has slowly built a modest following among parents drawn to bold, place-name choices. The 2022 peak suggests the trend reached its maximum American adoption about fourteen years after that initial celebrity moment.
The New York Identity
Naming a child Bronx is naming him for a place with a specific, powerful identity: the birthplace of hip-hop, home to the Yankees, a borough with a history of both hardship and extraordinary cultural creativity. That's not an empty association. For families with genuine connections to the Bronx, who grew up there, whose parents are from there, who feel the borough as part of their identity — Bronx carries real meaning. Dutch-origin place names that became American naming choices tell a specific story about American urban identity.
Bold Choices Require Bold Commitment
A child named Bronx will be explaining his name for his entire life — not because it's difficult, but because it's a borough. That's either a great conversation starter or an exhausting one, depending on the child's temperament and the parent's intent. The name works best for families with a real New York connection rather than those choosing it purely for its sonic boldness. Compare Bronx against Oakland for a sense of how two American city-names function as given names at nearly identical rarity levels.