boy's name
Carson
KAR-sun
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 154,726
the United States
#124
2025 births
Carson is a name of Scottish and Irish origin meaning "son of Carr." Carr itself is a byname from the Old Norse kjarr, meaning marsh or brushwood, so the deeper sense describes wet scrubland.
- Carson is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2018, when 5,466 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,076 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Carson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 89 |
| 1890s | 93 |
| 1900s | 142 |
| 1910s | 753 |
| 1920s | 1,050 |
| 1930s | 933 |
| 1940s | 1,145 |
| 1950s | 1,258 |
| 1960s | 882 |
| 1970s | 1,294 |
| 1980s | 2,569 |
| 1990s | 12,214 |
| 2000s | 47,186 |
| 2010s | 49,802 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,477 |
What Carson means
Carson means son of Carr, and Carr comes from a Norse word for marshy ground overgrown with brushwood. It is a topographic byname at root, describing where a family lived.
Where Carson comes from
Carson is a surname from the Scottish borders and Ulster, generally analyzed as son of Carr. Carr derives from the Old Norse kjarr, meaning brushwood or a marsh overgrown with scrub — a word Norse settlers left across northern England and lowland Scotland, surviving in place names ending in -carr. An alternative derivation treats Carson as a form of a Gaelic name. Its American prominence comes from Kit Carson, the nineteenth-century frontiersman, and Carson City in Nevada is named after him. The name moved to first-name use in the twentieth century and is given to both boys and girls.
How popular is Carson?
In 2025, Carson was given to 3,080 babies in the United States, ranking #124 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Carson is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Carson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Carson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Carson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Carson
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Carson in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Carson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Carson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Carson
What does the name Carson mean?
Carson means "son of Carr," from a Norse word for marsh or brushwood.
Is Carson Scottish or Irish?
Both — it is a border surname found across southwest Scotland and Ulster.
Is Carson City named after the name?
After Kit Carson, the frontiersman, whose surname it is.
How popular is the name Carson?
In 2025, Carson was given to 3,080 babies in the United States, ranking #124 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Carson a girl's or a boy's name?
Carson is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Carson?
Carson has 2 syllables.
When was Carson most popular?
Carson peaked in 2018, when 5,466 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Carson?
Carson is usually shortened to Car.
Is Carson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Carson currently ranks #93 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.