Mason
MAY-sun
Mason is an English occupational surname from Old French “machun” and Frankish “makjo,” meaning a worker in stone. The Proto-Germanic root “mak-” (to make, to fit) also underlies the modern English verb “make.”
Masonry was 1 of the most respected medieval trades. The surname appeared in England from the 13th century in guild records and tax rolls.
Freemasonry adopted stonemason symbolism in the 17th century, giving the word enduring cultural resonance. The Mason-Dixon Line embedded the surname in American vocabulary.
What the name Mason means
Perry Mason, the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner in 1933 and played by Raymond Burr on television from 1957 to 1966, kept the name in mid-century cultural conversation for an entire generation of American viewers.
The shift from surname to first name accelerated after 2000, climbing into the top 5 by 2011. Kourtney Kardashian’s son Mason (2009) added mainstream visibility.
Mason peaked at No. 2 in 2011 and remained in the top 10 through 2020. As of 2024, it ranks No. 42 with 6,471 births, following the cooling cycle typical of fast-rising names in the occupational surname category.
Its trajectory mirrors other names like Tyler, Hunter, and Cooper. Parallel adoption in Canada, Australia, and the UK followed the American trend.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Mason
Mason - similar names
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