Unisex name · since 1966
Karson
Karson has 21,394 recorded births since 1966 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #805 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #453 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 21,394
- born since 1966
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Karson is the #453 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 21,394 recorded since 1966.
Social Security Administration records show Karson recorded 21,394 times among boys since 1966, holding rank #453 nationally today, ahead of 97% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1966 to 2025.
- #805 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #453 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 21,394 born since 1966
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karson ranks #805 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #453 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 21,394 born since 1966, peaking in the 2010s.
- #805 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #453 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 21,394
- born since 1966
- 2010s
- peak decade
Karson's 21,394 recorded births place it above 98.23% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
49 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Karson compares
21,394 Top 6% higher than 94% of 13,930 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
Karson's all-time total is 58x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karson | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,394 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,345 | 34 | 22,252 |
Karson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karson splits its recorded history at 1999: 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 1966 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 1,345 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1966–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 1,345
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Karson popularity over time - girls
2,106 total births recorded since 1980 (Karson as girls' name)
Karson by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (10,704 births, 50% of the file).
2010s was Karson's strongest decade.
10,704 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Karson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 40
1970s
40 births
- 1980s 149
1980s
149 births
- 1990s 694
1990s
694 births
- 2000s 3,939
2000s
3,939 births
- 2010s
2010s
10,704 births
- 2020s
2020s
5,863 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 10,704 births (50% of all-time use).
How Karson 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 Karson's total volume
Karson by state
Where Karson concentrates geographically, total births since 1966
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,972 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,051 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 986 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 905 | 4.2% |
| #5 | California | | 883 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 855 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 803 | 3.8% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 789 | 3.7% |
1,972 of 21,394 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Karson appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Karson's data
- Karson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (10,704 total births) through the 2020s (5,863) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Karsons (1,972 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karson
Nearby Names Like Karson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karson
Compare Karson side by side: Karson vs Karl Karson vs Karter Karson vs Kareem
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karson
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Karson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~59 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1966–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Karson 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 August 2026.