Just as we’ve been heralding the trend towards cowboy names, it looks like we could be in for a posse of new ones.

　　In the L.A. Times the other day, an article talked about prime-time television’s “reinvigorated love of the western, where projects are sprouting like cactus in the desert…and viewers may see the biggest glut of westerns since the genre’s heyday of the ‘60s.”

　　It was that heyday that incited the stampede of names that hadn’t been heard in a century onto the boys’ popularity lists of the 1950s, sixties and seventies, some of which are still riding tall in the saddle.

　　I thought it might be fun to look back at those TV cowboy names, and trace the old black-and-white shows that re-introduced them –we can check later and see whether the series scheduled to be revived, like The Rifleman, will use the same names or resurrect/create others.

　　Here’s some history of what and who and when. Clearly the favorite nom de cowboy was Clay, chosen by at least five different scripters.  It’s also kind of amazing to see the sheer number of westerns there were on the small screen mid-century.  Was there room on the schedule for anything else?

　　Adam—Bonanza, 1959

　　Aeneas—Wichita Town, 1959

　　Amos—Hec Ramsey, 1972

　　Artemus—The Wild, Wild West, 1965

　　Barnabas—The Iron Horse, 1966

　　Bart—Maverick, 1957

　　Beau—Tales of Wells Fargo, 1957

　　Beauregard—Maverick, 1957 (Roger Moore)

　　Billy Blue—The High Chaparral, 1967

　　Bo—The Chisholms, 1979

　　Brent—Maverick, 1957

　　Bret –Maverick, 1957 (James Garner)

　　Brodie—Wildside, 1985

　　Bronco—Bronco, 1958

　　Burgandy (!)—The Westerner, 1960

　　Cash—The Barbary Coast, 1975

　　Chad—Laredo, 1965

　　Chalk—The Outlaws, 1960

　　Cheyenne—Cheyenne, 1955

　　Clay—Black Saddle, 1959; Tales of the Texas Rangers, 1958; Tombstone Territory, 1957, The Virginian 1962, The Deputy, 1959

　　Clayt—The Monroes, 1966

　　Cody—Stoney Burke, 1962

　　Cooper—The Chisholms, 1979, Wagon Train, 1957

　　Cully—Johnny Ringo, 1959

　　Edge—Young Maverick, 1979

　　Emmett—The Virginian, 1962

　　Evan—The Oregon Trail, 1977

　　Flint—Wagon Train, 1957

　　Gideon—The Chisholms 1979

　　Heath—The Big Valley, 1965 (played by Lee Majors)

　　Heck—The Outlaws, 1960

　　Hoby– Trackdown, 1957 (Robert Culp)

　　Jace—Tales of the Texas Rangers, 1956

　　Jarrod—The Big Valley, 1965

　　Jason: Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1958, Branded, 1965 (played by Chuck Connors)

　　Jeb—Tales of Wells Fargo, 1957

　　Jebediah—The Cowboys, 1974

　　Jed—Rawhide, 1959

　　Jefferson—Jefferson Drum, 1958

　　Jericho—Daniel Boone, 1964

　　Jesse—Cimarron City, 1958

　　Josh—Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1958 (Steve McQueen)

　　Lane—Cimarron City, 1958

　　Lofty—Annie Oakley, 1953

　　Lucas—The Rifleman, 1958 (Chuck Connors)

　　Lucius—Jefferson Drum, 1958

　　Marsh—Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, 1955

　　Matt—Gunsmoke, 1955 (James Arness)

　　Micah—The Rifleman, 1958

　　Morgan—The Quest, 1976 (Kurt Russell)

　　Quentin—The Quest, 1976

　　Quint –Gunsmoke, 1955 (Burt Reynolds)

　　Reese—Laredo, 1965

　　Reno—The High Chaparral, 1967

　　Rowdy–Rawhide, 1959 (Clint Eastwood)

　　Rufe—Shane, 1966

　　Silas—The Big Valley, 1965

　　Simon—The Deputy, 1959 (played by Henry Fonda)

　　Tal—Empire, 1962 (played by Ryan O’Neal)

　　Temple, Temple Houston, 1963

　　Vint—The Restless Gun, 1957 (John Payne)

　　Wyatt—Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, 1955

　　Zeb—How the West Was Won, 1978  (James Arness)