FastNamesMason
English and French name meaning "Occupational surname adopted as a given name, derived from Old French maçon and Middle English masoun, meaning 'stone worker' or 'builder in stone'.". Ranked 39th for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Mason
Occupational surname adopted as a given name, derived from Old French maçon and Middle English masoun, meaning 'stone worker' or 'builder in stone'.
Linguistically, Mason is classified under English and French naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "MAY-suhn".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Mason has been given to a total of 342,583 boys. It has also been given to 3,348 girls.
Peak year: Mason reached its highest relative share among boys in 2011, when 19,530 babies received the name (10,283 per million births).
All-time best rank: 2nd place, first achieved in 2011.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 39th with 6,291 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 3rd (down 36 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Mason in the 2010s than in any other decade (157,911 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 154 |
| 1890s | 171 |
| 1900s | 219 |
| 1910s | 878 |
| 1920s | 1,212 |
| 1930s | 833 |
| 1940s | 867 |
| 1950s | 848 |
| 1960s | 958 |
| 1970s | 2,296 |
| 1980s | 5,541 |
| 1990s | 32,880 |
| 2000s | 90,502 |
| 2010s | 157,911 |
| 2020s | 47,313 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Mason is most common in the US
Accounting for when Mason was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- South Dakota: 1.7 times the national rate (1,431 births since 1910).
- North Dakota: 1.7 times the national rate (1,309 births since 1910).
- West Virginia: 1.7 times the national rate (2,843 births since 1910).
- Vermont: 1.7 times the national rate (638 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 1.6 times the national rate (1,581 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Mason?
About 334,000 living American boys and men share the name Mason. Additionally, an estimated 3,300 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Mason is 14 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Mason
Mason arose in medieval England and France as an occupational designation for a skilled stoneworker, originating from Old French maçon (related to Low German metze and Old High German mezzo, 'stone cutter'). Stonemasons held an esteemed rank in medieval European society, possessing specialized architectural, mathematical, and guild secrets necessary to construct stone cathedrals, castles, bridges, and city fortifications.
As with many traditional English surnames, Mason occasionally transitioned into given name use during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, often in honor of maternal ancestral lineages. In early United States history, the surname was distinguished by founding father George Mason of Virginia (1725–1792), author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which provided the foundational template for the United States Bill of Rights. The name also resonated nationally through the Mason-Dixon Line, surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon.
In modern American demographic records, Mason underwent a historic transformation from a rare rustic surname-name into a premier national frontrunner. Beginning a swift ascent in the early 1990s, Mason vaulted into the national top ten in 2010. It reached an all-time peak at rank 2 nationally in 2011 and 2012, spending nine consecutive years in the top five and spearheading the modern American trend of handsome, artisanal occupational given names.
Notable people named Mason
- Mason Mount (1999–), English professional footballer
- Mason Crosby (1984–), American football placekicker and Super Bowl champion
- Mason Rudolph (1995–), American NFL football quarterback
- Mason Plumlee (1990–), American professional basketball player
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 188.
- P. H. Reaney, R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames (1997), p. 301.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.