Benedict vs Mason
Benedict and Masoncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benedict was ranked #472 and Mason #56 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benedict was ranked #721 and Mason #63 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2006, Benedict was ranked #282 and Mason #152 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2008, Benedict was ranked #5545 and Mason #5545 among girls in England and Wales.
Benedict and Mason over time
Benedict and Mason appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Mason held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Benedict in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Benedict reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Mason in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benedict held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mason in 29.
Highest recorded here: Benedict #165 in 1999, Mason #27 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benedict #721, Mason #63.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1993–2024
Benedict held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Mason in 11.
Highest recorded here: Benedict #239 in 2005, Mason #32 in 2022.
The order changed in 2008: Mason moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #314 and #493; by 2008 that had become #472 and #252.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benedict #472, Mason #56.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Benedict | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English surname, from Old French masson/macon |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmeɪsən/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #472 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mason has a recorded origin (English surname, from Old French masson/macon); Benedict does not have one recorded yet.
- Benedict has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mason.
- A meaning is recorded for Mason; Benedict doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Benedict
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #155 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #155 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #721 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys