Famous Cowboy Names

(To be more precise, Famous Cowboy and Cowgirl, i.e., Cowperson, Names)

Legends of the Old West

(Also see Western Movie Stars and Western Characters of Film and TV)

The following list (in alphabetical order of first name) is of actual personalities of the Old West.  Not included are the many lesser lawmen, outlaws, gunfighters and cowboys. Also not included are eastern pioneers, such as Daniel Boone, because they belong to, shall we say, the Old East. The source for much information here is from Legends of America and various Wikipedia entries.

 Popular Name

(see image with mouse on name)

 Birth Name  Born - Died  Claim to Fame  Cause of Death
 Annie Oakley Annie Oakley Phoebe Ann Oakley Moses

Aug 13, 1860

- Nov 3, 1926

sharpshooter and exhibition shooter; starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show

pernicious anemia
 “Bat” Masterson Bat Masterson William Barclay Masterson

Nov 27, 1853

- Oct 25, 1921

gunfighter, gambler, sheriff's deputy alongside Wyatt Earp, newspaper columnist

heart attack
 Belle Starr (The Bandit Queen) Belle Starr Myra Belle Shirley Reed Starr

Feb 5, 1848

- Feb 3, 1889

rustling, horse stealing, bootlegging whiskey

shot from ambush
 Bill Doolin Bill Doolin William Doolin

in 1858

- Aug 24, 1896

bandit, founder of the Wild Bunch gang

shot by US Marshall Heck Thomas
 Bill Pickett (The Bull-Dogger) Bill Pickett William Pickett

Dec 5, 1870

- Apr 2, 1932

rodeo cowboy; introduced bulldogging kicked in the head by a horse
 Bill Tilghman Bill Tilghman  (1)  William Matthew Pickett

July 4, 1854

- Nov 1, 1924

deputy sheriff, gunfighter, saloon owner shot by a corrupt prohibition agent
 Billy the Kid Billy the Kid William Henry McCarty (aka: Henry Antrim, William H. Bonney)

Nov 24, 1859

- July 14, 1881

outlaw, gunfighter, member of the Regulators gang

shot by Pat Garrett
 Black Bart Black Bart Charles E. Boles

in 1829

- circa 1888

good-mannered stage coach robber

unknown, last seen February 28, 1888
 “Black Jack” Ketchum Black Jack Ketchum Thomas Edward Ketchum

Oct 31, 1863

- Apr 26, 1901

cowboy turned robber, member of Hole in the Wall gang

hangedary 28, 1888
 Bose Ikard Bose Ikard Bose Ikard

July, 1847

- Jan 4, 1929

cowboy, helped in opening up the Goodnight Loving Trail

 ?
 Buffalo Bill Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody

Feb 26, 1846

- Jan 10, 1917

organized Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, an outdoor extravaganza

kidney failure
 Butch Cassidy Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker

Apr 13, 1866

- Nov 6, 1909

robber; member of the Wild Bunch gang

suicide while surrounded and trapped
 Calamity Jane Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary

May 1, 1852

- Aug 1, 1903

sharpshooter, prospector, rowdy prostitute, gambler, heavy drinker

alcoholism
 Charles Goodnight Charles Goodnight Charles Goodnight

Mar 5, 1836

- Dec 12, 1929

cattledriver; founded the Goodnight-Loving Trail; invented the chuckwagon

old age
 Chris Madsen Chris Madsen  (2)  Christian "Chris" Madsen

Dec 25, 1851

- Jan 9, 1944

Danish born gunfighter; U.S. Deputy Marshal in Oklahoma; member of the Three Guardsmen crimefighers

old age
 Clay Allison Clay Allison Robert Clay Allison

Sep 2, 1840

- July 3, 1887

ruthless killer, gunfighter

broken neck from accident
 Connie Douglas Reeves Connie Douglas Connie Douglas

Sep 26, 1901

- Aug 17, 2003

cowgirl who taught thousands of girls how to ride horses at Texas's Camp Waldemar

thrown from a horse at age 101
Dalton brothers (3) 
     Grat Dalton      - Grat Dalton Gratton Hanley Dalton

in 1861

- Oct 5, 1892

train, bank robber

shot during a bank robbery
     Bob Dalton      - Bob Dalton Robert Rennick Dalton

in 1869

- Oct 5, 1892

train, bank robber

shot during a bank robbery
     Emmett Dalton      - Emmett Dalton Emmett Dalton

in 1871

- July 13, 1937

train, bank robber, real estate agent, author and actor

fatal illness
 Deadwood Dick Deadwood Dick Nat Love

June 14, 1854

- circa 1921

cowboy; won every competition and $200 prize at July 4, 1876 Deadwood cowboy contest

?
 Doc Holliday Doc Holliday John Henry Holliday

Aug 14, 1851

- Nov 8, 1887

dentist, gambler, and gunfighter; at the O.K. Corral gunfight

consumption (tuberculosis)
 Elfego Baca Elfego Baca Elfego Baca

Feb 10, 1865

- Aug 27, 1945

lawman, lawyer, and politician; ‘Frisco Shootout&rsquo incident where Elfego faced 80 men firing 4,000 shots at the home where he was cornered

old age
 Frank Canton Frank Canton Josiah Horner

Sep 15, 1849

- Sep 27, 1927

lawman, gunslinger, cowboy and at one point in his life, an outlaw

old age
 Frank James Frank James  (2)  Alexander Frank James

Jan 10, 1843

- Feb 18, 1915

bank robber; rode with William Quantrill's raiders; later shoe salesman

heart Failure
 Heck Thomas Heck Thomas  (1)  Henry A. Thomas

Jan 3, 1850

- Aug 15, 1912)

peace officer, tracked down and killed outlaw Bill Doolin

of Bright's disease
 Jedediah Smith Jedediah Smith Jedediah Strong Smith

Jan 6, 1799

- May 27, 1831

hunter, trapper, fur trader and explorer of the American West Coast

killed by Comanche Indians
 Jesse James Jesse James  (2)  Jesse Woodson James

Sep 5, 1847

- Apr 3, 1882

bank and train robber, killer; member of outlaw Clement gang;

shot from the back by Robert Ford
 John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin

May 26, 1853

- Aug 19, 1895

gunfighter, killer; claimed to have killed 44 men

shot in the back by lawman John Selman
 Johnny Ringo Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo

May 3, 1850

- July 13, 1882

robber, killer; member of Clanton gang

gun shot suicide
 Kid Curry Kid Curry Harvey Logan

in 1867

- June 17, 1904

outlaw, gunman, “wildest of the Wild Bunch”

suicide during gun battle
 King Fisher King Fisher John King Fisher

in 1854

- Mar 11, 1884

gunfighter, gang leader, rancher

shot as he leapt from a theater balcony
 Kit Carson Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson

Dec 24, 1809

- May 23, 1868

scout, trapper; much involved with Indian affairs

aortic aneurysm
 Oliver Loving Oliver Loving Oliver Loving

Dec 4, 1812

- Sep 25, 1867

first cattledriver; founded the Goodnight-Loving Trail; “The Dean of Texas Trail Drivers”

gangrene from a battle wound
 Pat Garrett Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd Garrett

June 5, 1850

- Feb 28, 1908

sheriff in New Mexico, bartender, and customs agent; killed Billy the Kid

shot during an argument
 Sam Bass Sam Bass Sam Bass

July, 21 1851

- July 21, 1878

train robber

gun shot wounds
 Sundance Kid, the The Sundance Kid Harry Longabaugh

Spring, 1867

- Nov 6, 1909

robber; member of the Wild Bunch gang

suicide while surrounded and trapped
 Texas Jack Texas Jack John Baker Omohundro

July 26, 1846

- June 28, 1880

frontier scout, actor, and cowboy; first performer to do roping acts on stage

pneumonia
 “Texas John” Slaughter Texas Jack John Slaughter

Oct 2, 1841

- Feb 16, 1922)

a Civil War veteran, trail-driver, cattleman, Texas Ranger, sheriff, gambler, and state representative

stroke
 Tom Horn Tom Horn Tom Horn (aka: James Hicks)

Nov 21, 1860

- Nov 20, 1903

lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin

hanged
 Wild Bill Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok

May 27, 1837

- Aug 2, 1876

marksman, professional gambler, gunfighter, scout, lawman

shot in the back of the head
 Will Rogers Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers

Nov 7, 1879

- Aug 5, 1935

humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, actor, newspaper columnist

plane crash over Alaska
 Willaim Longley Willaim Longley William Preston Longley

Oct 6, 1851

- Oct 11, 1878

outlaw, ruthless and ill-tempered gunfighter; killed at least 32 people

hanged
 Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp

Mar 19, 1848

- Jan 13, 1929

lawman, gambler; in gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone, Arizona

natural causes
Younger brothers
     Bob Younger    Bob Younger  (2)  Robert Ewing Younger

Oct 29, 1853

- Sep 16, 1889

train, bank robber

tuberculosis in prison
     Cole Younger    Cole Younger Thomas Coleman Younger

Jan 15, 1844

- March 21, 1916

train, bank robber; lectured and toured with Frank James in a wild west show

old age
     John Younger    John Younger John Harrison Younger

in 1851

- March 17, 1874

train, bank robber, killer

shot in the neck
     Jim Younger    Jim Younger James Hardin Younger

Jan 15, 1848

- Oct 19, 1902

rancher, train, bank robber

committed suicide

     (1) Tilghman, Thomas and Madsen were known as the Three Guardsmen, responsible for arresting or killing many criminals in the Oklamhoma territory.

     (2) Part of the James-Younger Gang including Clell Miller, Arthur McCoy, Charlie Pitts, John Jarrette, and Bill Chadwell.

     (3) Part of the Dalton Gang which included George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb, “Blackfaced” Charlie Bryant, Bill Doolin, Dick Broadwell, and Bill Powers.