Mason
A masculine name derived from an occupational term for a stone mason.
Roughly 331,695 people in the United States go by the first name Mason, which ranks #42 nationally when sorted by estimated living bearers. It is a predominantly male name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Mason today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mason births was 2011 (19,617 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Cameron (331,149).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mason. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Mason is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 3,297 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Mason is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
332K
~ 1 in 1,033 Americans
Peak year
2011
19,617 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#42
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Mason
Out of the 339,506 babies given the name Mason since 1880, 99.0% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Mason as a male name
- Ranked #42 in 2024
- 6,471 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (19,528 births)
Mason as a female name
- Ranked #3,145 in 2024
- 51 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (162 births)
Popularity
Mason: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mason from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 158,666 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mason by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mason during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Masons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Mason, while District of Columbia, Wyoming, Vermont recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6,531 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mason
The name Mason originated in medieval England as an occupational surname for a mason or stone worker, derived from the Old French word masson, meaning "one who works with stone." The name's roots can be traced back to the Latin word "machio," meaning "stoneworker" or "builder."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mason as a given name date back to the 16th century, when it was used as a first name for boys born into families of stoneworkers or masons. During this period, occupational names were commonly adopted as given names, reflecting the importance of family trades and professions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Mason was Mason Rudolph, a prominent English mason who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his work on various churches and cathedrals in the country.
In the 17th century, the name gained popularity among the Puritan settlers in America, who often chose biblical names or names with strong moral connotations. The name Mason was seen as a virtuous name, reflecting the values of hard work, craftsmanship, and building a solid foundation.
Notable historical figures with the name Mason include Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825), an American book agent, and author best known for his biography of George Washington, which popularized the story of Washington cutting down the cherry tree. Another notable bearer was Mason Brayman (1813-1895), an American lawyer and Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
In the 19th century, the name Mason became increasingly popular, particularly in the United States. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825), an American book agent and author best known for his biography of George Washington, which popularized the story of Washington cutting down the cherry tree.
Another notable figure was Mason Brayman (1813-1895), an American lawyer and Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He served as a major general and played a significant role in several key battles, including the Battle of Chickamauga.
In the 20th century, the name Mason gained further popularity, with several famous individuals bearing the name. Mason Williams (born 1938) is an American composer, musician, and comedian best known for his instrumental hit "Classical Gas." Mason Reese (born 1965) was a child actor and television personality who became famous for his appearances in commercials and TV shows in the 1970s.
Mason Proffit (1938-2021) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band The Brothers and Sisters. Mason Jennings (born 1975) is a contemporary American singer-songwriter known for his introspective and poetic lyrics.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mason
People
Mason + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mason as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mason: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mason?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 331,695 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mason going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,033 US residents.
Is Mason a common name?
We classify Mason as "Common". It ranks above 99.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 339,506 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mason most popular?
The single biggest year for Mason was 2011, when 19,617 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mason is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mason a male name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Mason in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.