Reason
A unisex name of French origin meaning "faculty of logical thought".
Name Census estimates that about 234 living Americans carry the first name Reason. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 80.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Reason today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reason births was 2024 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reason. 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
234
~ 1 in 1,464,762 Americans
Peak year
2024
54 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,028
Tracked since 1885
Gender
Gender distribution for Reason
Reason leans heavily male at 80.1% of total registrations, but 53 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Reason as a male name
- Ranked #3,028 in 2024
- 41 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (41 births)
Reason as a female name
- Ranked #8,293 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (13 births)
Popularity
Reason: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reason from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 139 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reason 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 Reason during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reasons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Reason
The given name Reason has its origins in the English language, derived from the noun "reason" which means the capacity for rational thought, the ability to think logically and draw conclusions. The name itself is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century, during the Enlightenment period when rational thinking and scientific inquiry were highly valued.
Reason was likely initially used as a name to reflect the ideals of reason, logic, and intellectual pursuit. It may have been chosen by parents who wished to instill these values in their child or to represent their own philosophical leanings. The name's association with the Enlightenment suggests a connection to the intellectual and cultural movements of that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reason can be found in the writings of the English philosopher John Locke, who lived from 1632 to 1704. Locke's work, "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," published in 1689, explored the concept of reason and its role in human knowledge and understanding.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Reason. One such person was Reason Bradbury, an English Puritan minister who lived from 1614 to 1689. He was known for his religious writings and his involvement in the Puritan movement in England during the 17th century.
Another historical figure with the name Reason was Reason Wilkinson, an American Quaker minister who lived from 1757 to 1843. He was a prominent advocate for abolition and traveled extensively, preaching against slavery and promoting social reforms.
In the field of literature, Reason Stearn was an American poet and writer who lived from 1915 to 1988. He was known for his works exploring themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.
Reason Weed, an American lawyer and politician, lived from 1838 to 1909. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of New York from 1879 to 1881.
Lastly, Reason Cluff, born in 1828 and died in 1901, was a Mormon pioneer and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He played a significant role in the settlement and development of communities in the American West during the late 19th century.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples demonstrate the historical presence of the name Reason and its association with individuals who embodied the ideals of rational thought, intellectual pursuits, and social progress.
People
Reason + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reason as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reason: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reason?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 234 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reason 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 1,464,762 US residents.
Is Reason a common name?
We classify Reason as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 267 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reason most popular?
The single biggest year for Reason was 2024, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reason is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reason a male name?
Yes, 80.1% of people registered as Reason 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.