boy's name
Karson
KAR-sun
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 25,693
the United States
#453
2025 births
Karson is a boy's name of Scottish and Irish origin, a respelling of Carson. The surname's own meaning is unresolved — a marsh dweller, a son of Carr, and a form of Acarson have all been proposed without one being established.
- Karson is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2018, when 1,413 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,529 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1966.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Karson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 40 |
| 1980s | 154 |
| 1990s | 1,156 |
| 2000s | 4,617 |
| 2010s | 11,365 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,163 |
What Karson means
Karson has no settled meaning. Carson is a real border surname whose derivation reference works do not agree on, so the confident readings offered by name sites are choices between guesses.
Where Karson comes from
Karson respells Carson, a surname of the Scottish borders and Ulster whose origin is genuinely disputed. Proposals include a contraction of Acarson, son of Acar; a form of the Norse-derived Carr, meaning marsh or rock, with the patronymic S; and a Gaelic root. None is established. Kit Carson, the American frontiersman, and Carson City, named for him, carried the surname into American use, and Rachel Carson gave it a different weight with Silent Spring in 1962. The K respelling belongs to the modern American habit of hardening a C and appears in our records from 1966.
Karson in use
Karson charts in five of the seven countries we track and peaked in 2018.
How popular is Karson?
In 2025, Karson was given to 732 babies in the United States, ranking #453 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Karson 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 Karson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Karson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Karson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Karson 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 Karson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Karson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Karson
What does the name Karson mean?
It is unresolved. Marsh dweller, son of Carr and a form of Acarson have all been proposed for Carson without one being established.
What is the difference between Karson and Carson?
Only the spelling. Carson is the traditional surname; Karson is a modern American respelling.
Is Karson a boy's or a girl's name?
It is given mostly to boys, with Karsyn used more for girls.
How popular is the name Karson?
In 2025, Karson was given to 732 babies in the United States, ranking #453 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Karson?
Karson has 2 syllables.
When was Karson most popular?
Karson peaked in 2018, when 1,413 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Karson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Karson currently ranks #376 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.