# Carson (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/carson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | “carr”, “carra”, “rock”, “fort”, “son”, “son of carr.” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑɹ.sən/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | Carsen, Karson |
| US babies named this | 140,887 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 132,774 / 8,113 (6% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 2,234, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Could originate from the Gaelic name "Carr" or "Carra", meaning "rock" or "fort," combined with "son", thus "son of Carr.".

## What it means

Carson is grouped under mountain.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 179 | 1,316 |
| 2012 | 153 | 1,478 |
| 2013 | 152 | 1,468 |
| 2014 | 173 | 1,352 |
| 2015 | 178 | 1,330 |
| 2016 | 186 | 1,291 |
| 2017 | 193 | 1,237 |
| 2018 | 207 | 1,163 |
| 2019 | 166 | 1,360 |
| 2020 | 202 | 1,159 |
| 2021 | 172 | 1,312 |
| 2022 | 170 | 1,368 |
| 2023 | 188 | 1,239 |
| 2024 | 173 | 1,328 |
| 2025 | 197 | 1,174 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 4,927 | 85 |
| 2012 | 4,597 | 87 |
| 2013 | 4,540 | 90 |
| 2014 | 4,625 | 91 |
| 2015 | 4,761 | 89 |
| 2016 | 4,931 | 81 |
| 2017 | 4,766 | 83 |
| 2018 | 5,259 | 70 |
| 2019 | 4,522 | 82 |
| 2020 | 4,196 | 84 |
| 2021 | 3,777 | 97 |
| 2022 | 3,408 | 110 |
| 2023 | 3,210 | 112 |
| 2024 | 2,901 | 124 |
| 2025 | 2,883 | 124 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5 | 2,783 |
| 2004 | 3 | 4,598 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 84 | 449 |
| 2012 | 115 | 367 |
| 2013 | 83 | 464 |
| 2014 | 111 | 369 |
| 2015 | 114 | 383 |
| 2016 | 127 | 365 |
| 2017 | 138 | 345 |
| 2018 | 133 | 343 |
| 2019 | 129 | 344 |
| 2020 | 148 | 311 |
| 2021 | 153 | 305 |
| 2022 | 157 | 285 |
| 2023 | 135 | 325 |
| 2024 | 134 | 328 |
| 2025 | 101 | 401 |

## People named Carson

- Carson McCullers, American writer (1917–1967)
- Carson Kressley, American television personality, fashion designer
- Carson Daly, American television and radio personality and producer
- Carson Wentz, American football player (born 1992)
- Carson Foster, American swimmer
- Carson Palmer, American football player (born 1979)
- Wayne Carson, American singer-songwriter
- Carson Tyler, American diver
- Mary Carson Breckinridge, American nurse (1881–1965)
- Carson Cistulli, American poet and writer
- Carson Grant, American actor
- Carson Schwesinger, American football player

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.