Find out how popular the first name Carson has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Carson by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Carson is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 94% of people named Carson being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 3,200 male babies and 188 female babies born with the name Carson.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 188 baby girls were named Carson in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Carson

The name Carson has its origins in the ancient Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the word "cairsion," which means "marsh-dweller" or "one who lives in a marshy area." This name likely emerged in the early medieval period, around the 6th to 10th centuries, when Scottish clans and families first began adopting surnames and surnames began to reflect their geographic origins or occupations.

The name Carson was particularly prevalent among families and clans that resided in the Scottish Highlands, where marshy and boggy terrain was common. As a result, it is believed that the name initially referred to individuals who lived in or near these marshy areas, potentially indicating their livelihood or occupation was tied to these regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carson can be found in the ancient Scottish Gaelic text, the Book of Deer, which dates back to the 9th century. This text contains a reference to a individual named "Cairsion mac Beathad," which translates to "Carson, son of Beathad."

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Carson. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert Carson (1589-1661), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1626 to 1636. Another prominent figure was Christopher Carson (1809-1868), an American frontiersman and trailblazer who played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the name Carson include the American author and humorist Kit Carson (1809-1868), who gained fame for his writings about life on the American frontier, and the Scottish-American industrialist Robert Carson (1867-1931), who co-founded the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

Additionally, the name Carson has been carried by several influential figures in the fields of science and academia, such as the American chemist Rachel Carson (1907-1964), whose book "Silent Spring" sparked the modern environmental movement, and the British mathematician and physicist Sir Robert Carson (1830-1892), who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Carson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carson, please contact us.

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