Vashon
An Americanized spelling of a French name derived from Gascony.
Name Census estimates that about 793 living Americans carry the first name Vashon. It is a predominantly male name (91.7% of registrations). The average person named Vashon today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vashon births was 1973 (125 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vashon. 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
793
~ 1 in 432,225 Americans
Peak year
1973
125 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2023 SSA rank
#6,792
Tracked since 1972
Gender
Gender distribution for Vashon
Vashon leans heavily male at 91.7% of total registrations, but 69 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Vashon as a male name
- Ranked #14,034 in 2023
- 5 male births in 2023
- Peak: 1973 (96 births)
Vashon as a female name
- Ranked #6,792 in 1981
- 10 female births in 1981
- Peak: 1973 (29 births)
Popularity
Vashon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vashon from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 346 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vashon 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 Vashon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vashons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Florida, Illinois, New York recorded the most babies named Vashon, while Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vashon
The given name Vashon has its origins in the Native American Salishan language family. It was originally a place name referring to the Vashon Island located in Puget Sound, Washington State. The name is derived from the Salishan word "vahshawn" meaning "prairies" or "open areas amidst the forest".
Vashon Island was named by the British explorer George Vancouver in 1792 after his friend James Vashon, a Royal Navy officer. This marked one of the earliest recorded uses of the name Vashon in the English language.
In the late 18th century, the name gained some popularity among European settlers in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, likely due to its Native American origins and association with the picturesque Vashon Island.
One of the earliest known individuals with the first name Vashon was Vashon Ely (1787-1854), an American farmer and surveyor who lived in Ohio. He was among the first settlers in the area and played a role in the early development of the state.
Another notable historical figure with the name was Vashon Haywood (1822-1898), an African American businessman and abolitionist from Tennessee. He was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement and later became a successful entrepreneur.
In the 19th century, the name Vashon also gained some popularity in France, possibly influenced by the French presence in the Pacific Northwest region during that time. One example is Vashon Le Camus (1828-1901), a French painter and sculptor known for his works depicting rural life.
The name Vashon appeared in several historical records and documents from the late 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in the Pacific Northwest region and parts of the United States with Native American influences.
Another individual with the name was Vashon Vaught (1892-1965), an American soldier who served in World War I and received the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery in combat.
While the name Vashon has its roots in Native American culture, it has been adopted and used by individuals from various backgrounds throughout history, particularly in areas with connections to the Pacific Northwest region and its indigenous populations.
People
Vashon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vashon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vashon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vashon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 793 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vashon 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 432,225 US residents.
Is Vashon a common name?
We classify Vashon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 831 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vashon most popular?
The single biggest year for Vashon was 1973, when 125 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vashon is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vashon a male name?
Yes, 91.7% of people registered as Vashon 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.