Carson
Carson is a unisex given name, originating from a Scottish and Irish surname of unknown meaning.
Meaning & Origin of Carson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carson is a unisex given name, originating from a Scottish and Irish surname of unknown meaning.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Carson
As a girl name
Carson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1947, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 447 Carsons were born — ranking #560 that year. As of 2026, Carson ranks #1,335 for girls with 169 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 8K Carsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Carson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 5,259 Carsons were born — ranking #70 that year. As of 2026, Carson ranks #136 for boys with 2,614 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 135K Carsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Carson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carson
What does the name Carson mean?
How popular is Carson in 2026?
When was Carson most popular?
In which U.S. states is Carson most popular?
Is Carson a unisex name?
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About the name Carson
Carson is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 135K births in the dataset. Carson's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #70. Use the chart and map above to compare Carson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.