Total births
342,583
Boys' name · since 1880
Mason
342,583 babies named Mason in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2011. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #42
- among boys today
- 342,583
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other boys
342,583 babies have been named Mason since 1880, making it today's #42 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Mason recorded 342,583 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #42 nationally today, ahead of 99.7% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #42 among boys today
- 342,583 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.7% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mason is currently the #42 boys' name in America, more common than 99.7% of boys - 342,583 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #42
- among boys today
- 342,583
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other boys
Mason vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#42
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.7% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Mason was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
19,530 babies were named Mason in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
How Mason compares
342,583 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Mason's all-time total is 933x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mason | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 342,583 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19,530 | 23 | 22,252 |
Mason's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Mason's full recorded timeline at 1953, 99% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 1% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1891, with just 11 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2011 peak of 19,530 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Mason at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2011
Current rank
#42
Active since
1880
Mason popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2011)
- 19,530
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Mason popularity over time - girls
3,348 total births recorded since 1916 (Mason as girls' name)
Mason by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Mason's strongest decade.
157,911 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Mason births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 154
1880s
154 births
- 1890s 171
1890s
171 births
- 1900s 219
1900s
219 births
- 1910s 878
1910s
878 births
- 1920s 1,212
1920s
1,212 births
- 1930s 833
1930s
833 births
- 1940s 867
1940s
867 births
- 1950s 848
1950s
848 births
- 1960s 958
1960s
958 births
- 1970s 2,296
1970s
2,296 births
- 1980s 5,541
1980s
5,541 births
- 1990s 32,880
1990s
32,880 births
- 2000s
2000s
90,502 births
- 2010s
2010s
157,911 births
- 2020s 47,313
2020s
47,313 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 157,911 births (46% of all-time use).
How Mason 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 Mason's total volume
Mason vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Mason by state
Where Mason concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 31,437 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 27,517 | 8.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 16,756 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 16,697 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 15,202 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 15,048 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 11,993 | 3.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 11,655 | 3.4% |
California share of Mason's total US births 9.2%
Even split
31,437 of 342,583 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Mason appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mason? ▼
342,583 babies have been named Mason since 1880. It currently ranks #42 among boys. The peak year was 2011 with 19,530 births.
When was Mason most popular? ▼
Mason was most popular in the 2010s decade with 157,911 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
Where is Mason most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mason are California (31,437 births), Texas (27,517 births), New York (16,756 births).
How long has the name Mason been used? ▼
Mason has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Mason? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Massimo, Masen, Masyn, Massiah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Mason's data
- Mason's decade-level peak was the 2010s (157,911 total births); usage has since declined to 47,313 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Masons (31,437 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Mason
Nearby Names Like Mason
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mason
Massimo Boy
#887 4,026 births
Masen Boy
#2816 3,243 births
Masyn Boy
#2467 1,501 births
Massiah Boy
#1954 1,451 births
Masiah Boy
#2584 1,204 births
Compare Mason side by side: Mason vs Massimo Mason vs Masen Mason vs Masyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mason
Isaac #41
331,508 births · Peak 2007
Gabriel #43
395,778 births · Peak 2008
Jacob #40
988,227 births · Peak 1998
Anthony #44
1,488,042 births · Peak 1990
Thomas #39
2,358,576 births · Peak 1952
Logan #45
387,999 births · Peak 2007
Wyatt #38
208,452 births · Peak 2017
Carter #46
206,833 births · Peak 2015
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. "Mason: #42 Boys' Name - 342,583 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mason. 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 Mason 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.