Total births
132,774
Unisex name · since 1880
Carson
Carson has 132,774 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #124
- among boys today
- 132,774
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
Carson currently ranks #124 among unisex names in America, with 132,774 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carson has been recorded 132,774 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #124 nationally and more common than 99.1% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #124 among boys today
- 132,774 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.1% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carson is currently the #124 unisex name in America, more common than 99.1% of boys - 132,774 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #124
- among boys today
- 132,774
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.1%
- more common than other boys
Carson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#124
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.1% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Carson was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
5,259 babies were named Carson in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Carson compares
132,774 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Carson's all-time total is 362x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 132,774 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,259 | 23 | 22,252 |
Carson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Carson splits its recorded history at 1953: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1893 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 5,259 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Carson at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#124
Active since
1880
Carson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 5,259
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carson popularity over time - girls
8,113 total births recorded since 1947 (Carson as girls' name)
Carson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Carson's strongest decade.
48,026 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Carson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 89
1880s
89 births
- 1890s 93
1890s
93 births
- 1900s 142
1900s
142 births
- 1910s 753
1910s
753 births
- 1920s 1,050
1920s
1,050 births
- 1930s 933
1930s
933 births
- 1940s 1,123
1940s
1,123 births
- 1950s 1,212
1950s
1,212 births
- 1960s 859
1960s
859 births
- 1970s 1,184
1970s
1,184 births
- 1980s 2,333
1980s
2,333 births
- 1990s 9,970
1990s
9,970 births
- 2000s
2000s
44,632 births
- 2010s
2010s
48,026 births
- 2020s
2020s
20,375 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 48,026 births (36% of all-time use).
How Carson compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Carson's total volume
Carson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Carson by state
Where Carson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10,042 | 7.6% |
| #2 | California | | 8,548 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 7,151 | 5.4% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 5,824 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5,289 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Florida | | 5,287 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 5,148 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 4,817 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Carson's total US births 7.6%
Even split
10,042 of 132,774 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Carson appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carson? ▼
Carson has been given to 132,774 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #124 as of the latest data. 5,259 babies were born in 2018, its single highest year.
When was Carson most popular? ▼
Carson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 48,026 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Carson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carson are Texas (10,042 births), California (8,548 births), Ohio (7,151 births).
Is Carson a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carson is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 132,774 births, and as a girl's name it has 8,113 births.
How long has the name Carson been used? ▼
Carson has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carl, Carlos, Carter, Carlton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Carson's data
- Carson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (48,026 total births) through the 2020s (20,375) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Carsons (10,042 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carson
Nearby Names Like Carson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carson
Carl Boy
#1031 504,827 births
Carlos Boy
#135 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#46 206,833 births
Carlton Boy
#2791 48,890 births
Carroll Boy
35,431 births
Compare Carson side by side: Carson vs Carl Carson vs Carlos Carson vs Carter
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carson
George #123
1,487,297 births · Peak 1921
Kayden #125
73,606 births · Peak 2014
Giovanni #122
89,368 births · Peak 2010
Jonah #126
85,283 births · Peak 2008
Harrison #121
99,138 births · Peak 2016
Greyson #127
60,231 births · Peak 2017
Milo #120
43,847 births · Peak 2022
Hunter #128
262,238 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carson: #124 Unisex Name - 132,774 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carson. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Carson draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.