Mason
Mason Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
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Meaning of Mason: Mason derives from the Old French macon meaning a stone worker or craftsman who builds with cut stone. The French form traces to Late Latin machio<
Norman builders brought the occupational term to England after 1066, where it attached as a surname to stonecutters raising cathedrals, castles, and abbey walls across the Angevin empire. English tax rolls from the 13th century list hundreds of Masons, particularly around York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral.
The term gained a second life through Freemasonry, a fraternal order that emerged from medieval stonemason guilds and spread across 17th-century Europe. Its rituals, symbols, and membership among American founders, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, layered civic and esoteric associations onto the surname.
What Does Mason Mean? Origin & Etymology
Per US Social Security Administration records, Mason first entered the US boys' top 1000 in 1928 as a surname-to-first-name transfer. The name broke into the top 100 in 1997, peaked at rank two in 2011, and held a top-five slot through 2015.
As of 2024, Mason holds rank 42 with 6,471 US births, softly easing from its early 2010s dominance. The name ranks in the top 50 across England and Wales, Scotland, Canada, and Australia, part of a broader movement transforming occupational surnames into first-name options across the English-speaking world.
Variants across languages are limited because Mason remains a distinctly English surname form. The spellings Mayson and Maison appear in US records. Notably, the feminine variants Masyn and Mayzen have emerged in modern American registries, reaching the top 5000 in 2024.
How Popular Is Mason?
Numerology & Symbolism of Mason
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Mason – Similar Names & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about Mason
What does Mason mean?
Mason means stoneworker or bricklayer, from Old French macon (Late Latin matio). Occupational surnames like Mason entered given-name use in the US during the 1990s surname-as-first-name trend.
What is the origin of Mason?
Mason derives from Old French macon (stoneworker). Kourtney Kardashian naming her son Mason in 2009 drove a spike to rank 2 by 2011. It has ranked in the top 50 continuously since 2009.
How popular is Mason in the US?
Mason ranks 42 for boys in the US as of 2024, per SSA data. It reached rank 2 in 2011 and ranked in the top 5 from 2011 to 2014. Mason has remained in the top 50 since 2009.
What are variants of Mason?
Is Mason more popular for girls or boys?
Mason is given predominantly to boys. It ranks 42 for boys in the US in 2024. Mason occasionally appears for girls but does not rank in the girls’ top 1000.