Namewise

Mason

maleEnglish surname, from Old French masson/macon

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: English surname, from Old French masson/macon

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1993 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #4 in New Zealand in 2016. See regions.

Mason: Recorded since 1993, it reached #4 in 2014, and it was still inside the top 100 in 2025.

MAY-sən/ˈmeɪsən/

Data Confidence

Evidence: ModerateCompleteness: SubstantialEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)
Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (6) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin
English surname, from Old French masson/macon
Meaning
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.
Pronunciation
MAY-sən
Syllables
2
Common nicknames
None recorded
Classification
Traditional & modern
Gender usage
male
Language family
English surname, from Old French masson/macon

Popularity

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 2003–2013

England and Wales · Girls rank from 2003 to 2013, ranging from #3594 to #5742.200320082013#3594#5742
View as table
England and Wales · Girls rank by year
YearRank
2003#3594
2008#5545
2013#5742

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in 25 of the 33 years from 1993 to 2025.

In 2025: #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #77 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 19932025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #77 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

See full popularity history and data table

Meaning & Origin

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.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name, Online Etymology Dictionary.Confidence: high.

English surname, from Old French masson/macon

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name, Online Etymology Dictionary.Confidence: high.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Mason is officially recorded

6 official registrars have recorded Mason, between 1993 and 2025, in 31 of those 33 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

RegistrarRecordedYearsIts own highest position
Republic of Ireland1993–202525#32 in 2022
England and Wales1996–202530#27 in 2013
Northern Ireland1998–202426#15 in 2013
New Zealand2000–202324#4 in 2014
New South Wales, Australia2003–202522#14 in 2018
Scotland20241#25 in 2024

Its high point came 11 years earlier in England and Wales (2013) than in Scotland (2024).

Variants

No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

MAY-sən/ˈmeɪsən/
Syllables
2
Ease
easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Mason Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Mason in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Entirely local — nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.

Full sibling-set and initials-across-a-shortlist matching is a planned premium feature — see Premium.