Nason
A masculine name derived from the Hebrew "Nathaniel", meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 552 living Americans carry the first name Nason. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nason today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nason births was 2015 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nason. 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.
People living today
552
~ 1 in 620,932 Americans
Peak year
2015
31 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,561
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Nason: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nason from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 221 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
Nason 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 Nason during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nasons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nason
The name Nason has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, and it is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Hebrew root word "Nasan," which means "to give" or "to bestow." The name Nason is a variant of the name Nathan, which has a similar meaning.
One of the earliest references to the name Nason can be found in the Book of Numbers, a part of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. In this text, Nason is mentioned as the leader of the tribe of Issachar during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nason. One such figure was Nason the Grammarian, a Greek scholar who lived in the 3rd century BCE. He is known for his work on Greek grammar and his contributions to the field of linguistics.
Another prominent figure with the name Nason was Ovid Nason, the Roman poet who lived from 43 BCE to 17 CE. He is renowned for his works such as the "Metamorphoses" and "Ars Amatoria," which explored themes of love, mythology, and transformation.
In the 16th century, there was a French nobleman named Nason de Vauguyon (1515-1594), who served as a diplomat and military commander during the French Wars of Religion.
During the 18th century, an English architect named Nason Vyvyan (1707-1780) made significant contributions to the field of architecture, particularly in the design of churches and public buildings in Cornwall, England.
More recently, in the 20th century, Nason Woodbury (1901-1989) was an American painter and illustrator known for his works depicting rural life and landscapes in New England.
While the name Nason may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich history and significance rooted in various cultures and time periods. Its meaning of "to give" or "to bestow" has been embodied by notable individuals throughout the ages, leaving a lasting impact on their respective fields and societies.
People
Nason + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nason as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nason: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nason?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 552 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nason 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 620,932 US residents.
Is Nason a common name?
We classify Nason as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 572 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nason most popular?
The single biggest year for Nason was 2015, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nason is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nason a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nason 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.