The name Austin comes from the name Augustine, which in turn comes from the name Augustus. Augustus means "venerable" or "revered." It was derived from the Latin word augere, meaning "to increase."

In the U.S., the most well-known Austin is not a person but a place: the capital of Texas. The city was originally named Waterloo, but it was later renamed Austin in honor of early settler Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836). With over 750,000 residents, Austin is the 4th-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest city in the nation.

Because of this association with Texas, the name Austin tends to sound western or cowboy-ish to many of us. The same could be said for names like Dallas, Houston, Dakota, Cheyenne and Tex.

Another famous Austin is English writer Jane Austen (1775-1817), author of classic books like Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813). Though they aren't spelled the same way, Jane's surname and Stephen F. Austin's surname are indeed versions of the same name.

A fictional Austin you may remember is the character Austin Powers, portrayed in the movies by comedian Mike Myers. And a semi-fictional Austin you may be familiar with is professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

But let's get back to baby names. Did you know that the name Austin was extremely popular in the 1990s? That's right--it was one of the top ten baby boy names in the nation from 1995 through 1998. In 2008, it ranked 55th.

And, though Austin isn't exactly a unisex name, it is occasionally given to baby girls. It managed to rank in the top 1,000 for girls twice in 1993 and 1994, for instance.

Other variants of the name are also popular, but less so. The second most popular spelling of the name is Austen, which was in the top 1,000 for about 20 years and peaked in the mid-1990s. Third is Austyn, which was on the list for about a decade. Finally there's Auston, which ranked for about a half a decade. (None of these spellings have ever ranked for girls.)

10,000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names Want more than the top 100 or top 1,000 baby boy names? Here's a complete list of the 10,000 most popular baby boy names in the nation! Click to learn more.