Carson is an American given name of Scottish origin, derived from the surname "Carse", which means 'fortified place'. It was traditionally a male name but has also been used for females in recent years. Carson gained significant popularity as a boy's name during the late 20th century and early 21st century in the United States. Notable individuals with this first name include American football quarterback Carson Palmer, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and retired four-star General James Mattis (known by his nickname "Mad Dog"), and Canadian singer-songwriter Carsen Gray. The name Carson has also been used as a surname, with notable bearers including the Carson family of Virginia who were prominent in American history during the colonial period.
Between 1880 and 2023, the name Carson has seen a significant increase in popularity in the United States, with a total of 126,941 births recorded over this period.
The earliest years on record show a steady but low number of births, with only single-digit figures between 1880 and 1893. However, beginning in 1894, there was a notable uptick in the number of Carson babies born each year, reaching double digits for every subsequent year until 1929.
The peak years for the name Carson were during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1996, there were 1,010 births, and this number continued to rise steadily, with a high of 5,098 births in 2010. Even after the peak years, the popularity of the name Carson remained consistently high, with over 4,000 births each year between 2010 and 2016.
However, since 2017, there has been a slight decline in the number of births for the name Carson, with 3,200 births recorded in 2023. Despite this recent decrease, Carson continues to be a popular name choice for parents in the United States.
It's fascinating to observe how the popularity of a name can fluctuate over time, and these statistics demonstrate that while Carson has been a well-liked name throughout much of its history, it has experienced periods of significant growth and decline in popularity.