-son Names Top 1000 U.S. 2014

A list of all of the -son names that made an appearance on the U.S. Top 1000 names for 2014.
  1. Addison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Adam"
    • Description:

      Newly fashioned but familiar and with an on trend, unisex feel, Addison seems like the perfect solution for anyone who can’t decide between Madison, Adeline, and Alison.
  2. Addyson
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Addison
    • Meaning:

      "son of Adam"
    • Description:

      Variation of the very trendy Addison, perhaps lending itself more obviously to the nickname Addy.
  3. Alison
    • Origin:

      Norman French, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.
  4. Alisson
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Allison/Alison
    • Description:

      With the still popular Allison ranking at Number 60 in the United States, and variant Alison sitting at Number 343—not to mention Allyson (Number 490 and Alyson (Number 835)—it makes sense that Alisson is still getting some attention from parents today, although it may unfortunately seem more like a spelling error than a legitimate name to some.
  5. Allison
    • Origin:

      Scottish, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Widely used here since the fifties, Allison -- a derivative of Alice -- has now been once again surpassed by the original Alice as parents embrace vintage revivals. Despite this, Allison's popularity has slipped only slightly.
  6. Allyson
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Allison
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      The original Allison was a Top 50 name from the 1980s through 2016, and Allyson is one of the many spelling variations parents used to put a more unique spin on the original.
  7. Alyson
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Alison
    • Description:

      Alison by any spelling is now considered more of a mom name than a baby name. It's been trending downward for more than a decade, though it still makes the Top 1000.
  8. Anderson
    • Origin:

      English from Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "son of Anders"
    • Description:

      Anderson shot up quite a bit on the popular names list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Cooper. Perhaps surprisingly though, Anderson was even higher on the list in 1880. Actress Edie Falco named her son Anderson in 2005. Though there haven't been many first-named Anderson namesakes, there have been countless notables bearing the surname, including Hans Christian, Marian, Maxwell, Sherwood, Gillian, Laurie, and Pamela.
  9. Anson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Anne"
    • Description:

      Anson has always been rare, though you might think of actor Anson Williams, best known for playing Potsie Weber on 1970s sitcom Happy Days. As a direct result of the show's popularity, Anson charted in the US Top 1000 from 1976 to 1981.
  10. Benson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ben"
    • Description:

      Benson has outgrown its long association with a wisecracking TV butler. Parents may see it as an alternate route to nickname Ben, very different in image than the biblical Benjamin. Benson also carries the patronymic theme made popular by Jackson, Harrison, and Jefferson. More recently, Olivia Benson of Law and Order: SVU has reclaimed this as a surname. On a less salubrious note, Benson is still connected to the cigarette brand Benson and Hedges.
  11. Branson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of the raven"
    • Description:

      Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson, Hudson, and Carson.
  12. Brayson
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Also found as Brason, this is one of an army of Jason sound-alikes, which include Cason, Mason, Kaysen, and so on. Stylish, yes; recommended, no.
  13. Bronson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of brown-haired one"
    • Description:

      This surname has a modern yet old New England feel, perhaps because of the association with the transcendental teacher and reformer Bronson (born Amos Bronson) Alcott, father of Louisa May. (One-time sitcom star Bronson Pinchot's full name is Bronson Alcott Pinchot.) A more muscular image comes via tough guy Charles Bronson.
  14. Bryson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Brice"
    • Description:

      A surname name that can transition to first -- it entered the Top 1000 in 1980 and is now firmly in the Top 100. Actress NeNe Leakes chose it for her son. R&B singer Bryson Tiller's popularity may have played a part in accelerating Bryson's rise.
  15. Carson
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "son of the marsh dwellers"
    • Description:

      Carson is one of the most long-running popular androgynous baby names, with a dash of the Wild West via the legendary Missouri frontiersman Kit Carson. Dating back to when it was the name of Nancy Drew's Dad, Carson is still steadily in the Top 200 baby names.
  16. Cason
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Cason's entire raison d'etre: It's a rhyming variation on the popular Jason, Mason and Brayson. Casen, Kasen and Kason also have crept into the Top 1000 in recent years.
  17. Cayson
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Cason
    • Description:

      A less-popular spelling of on-the-rise Cason.
  18. Dawson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of David"
    • Description:

      Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, was a teen favorite until the show's demise in 2003.
  19. Edison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Edith or Adam"
    • Description:

      This rhythmic last-name-first-name projects the creativity and inventiveness of Thomas Edison. It's an English surname deriving from either Adam or Eda, a medieval diminutive of Edith.
  20. Ellison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ellis"
    • Description:

      Updates Allison—which everyone will misunderstand it as. But it's definitely a fresh spin on the Ellie names, and a rising surname name choice for girls. It made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 in 2013.