boy's name
Mason
MAY-sun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 415,772
the United States
#39
2025 births
Mason is a boy's name of English origin meaning "stone worker." It began as an occupational surname for a craftsman who cut and laid stone, the trade responsible for the cathedrals and castles of medieval Europe.
- Mason is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2011, when 19,619 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 523 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mason 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 | 154 |
| 1890s | 171 |
| 1900s | 219 |
| 1910s | 890 |
| 1920s | 1,223 |
| 1930s | 833 |
| 1940s | 867 |
| 1950s | 848 |
| 1960s | 958 |
| 1970s | 2,306 |
| 1980s | 5,619 |
| 1990s | 33,651 |
| 2000s | 91,808 |
| 2010s | 158,702 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 47,682 |
What Mason means
Mason means one who works in stone. The trade was highly skilled and organized, distinguishing rough masons who handled ordinary walling from freemasons who cut the fine freestone used for detailed carving.
Where Mason comes from
Mason comes from the Old French masson, of Germanic origin, denoting a stonecutter or builder. Masons were among the most mobile and organized craftsmen of medieval Europe, traveling between cathedral and castle projects that took decades to complete, and their lodges developed distinctive systems of apprenticeship and recognition. The distinction between a rough mason and a freemason — one who worked the fine-grained freestone suitable for carving — is the origin of the term later adopted by Freemasonry. Mason became a fixed surname in England during the medieval period and moved into given-name use in the modern era.
Mason in use
The word freemason originally described a mason who worked fine freestone, long before the fraternal societies adopted it.
How popular is Mason?
In 2025, Mason was given to 6,342 babies in the United States, ranking #39 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Mason 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 Mason
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mason also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mason over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Mason
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.
Mason 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 Mason
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mason — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mason
What does the name Mason mean?
Mason means "stone worker," from the medieval occupational term.
Is Mason connected to Freemasonry?
The word is shared — freemason originally described a mason who worked fine freestone — but the name is simply occupational.
Was Mason originally a surname?
Yes. Mason was an English occupational surname before becoming a given name.
How popular is the name Mason?
In 2025, Mason was given to 6,342 babies in the United States, ranking #39 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Mason a girl's or a boy's name?
Mason is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mason?
Mason has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Mason?
Mason is usually shortened to Mace.
Is Mason a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mason currently ranks #26 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.