Fun Facts About the Name Jackson
- A newer favorite: Jackson first entered the U.S. top 100 in 1998 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 28 consecutive years.
- More than 297 thousand babies named Jackson: U.S. records list 297,920 babies given the name Jackson from 1880 through 2025. Even 777 girls received the name Jackson - about 1 girl for every 382 boys.
What Does the Name Jackson Mean?
Jackson is an English surname and given name meaning "son of Jack." It is formed from the Middle English personal name Jack, a common diminutive of John, and the patronymic suffix -son, from Old English sunu, "son." John derives from Hebrew Yoḥanan (יוֹחָנָן), usually translated "God is gracious" or "Yahweh has been gracious." The literal meaning of Jackson is therefore "son of Jack," not a direct translation of the Hebrew phrase.
In some Scottish and Irish contexts, Jackson has also been used as an anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Eachainn, "son of Eachann," a Gaelic personal name. That is a secondary or regional derivation; the usual source of the name is the English patronymic from Jack.
Jackson Name History & Origins
The surname Jackson developed in medieval England, where patronymic surnames ending in -son were common. It originally identified a person as the son of a man called Jack. Since Jack was one of the most familiar forms of John - a very common men's name in medieval England - the surname could arise independently in many families and places. The spelling settled as Jackson.
The first element, Jack, developed in English as a diminutive of John; John had entered English through Latin Iohannes and Greek Ioannes from Hebrew Yoḥanan. The surname is found in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In Scotland it sometimes served as an anglicization of Mac Eachainn; in Ireland it appears mainly among families of English or Scottish descent. From the British Isles it spread to North America and other English-speaking regions.
As a first name, Jackson is a transferred use of the surname. It is used as a given name in the United States and other English-speaking countries; the surname was borne by Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president, but the given name is not tied to a single literary work or inventor.
How Popular is the Name Jackson?
Jackson recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2013. Jackson entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 1998.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,271 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #6,008 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #6,258 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #5,705 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2021 | #6,512 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #6,169 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #5,087 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2018 | #4,702 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #4,977 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #5,196 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #5,538 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #5,371 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2013 | #7,532 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #5,989 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #4,975 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #5,861 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2009 | #6,399 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #5,194 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #4,508 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2006 | #4,724 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #4,758 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #2,569 | 65 | 0.0035% |
| 2003 | #4,857 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2002 | #4,682 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #5,667 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #6,945 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #7,904 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #6,173 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1997 | #10,171 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #6,881 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #9,040 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #14,254 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,007 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #10,906 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #11,927 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #10,107 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #12,500 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,000 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #10,784 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #7,784 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1925 | #4,209 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #36 | 6,582 | 0.3853% |
| 2024 | #35 | 6,876 | 0.4009% |
| 2023 | #28 | 7,325 | 0.4287% |
| 2022 | #23 | 8,114 | 0.4652% |
| 2021 | #14 | 9,279 | 0.5308% |
| 2020 | #17 | 9,131 | 0.5293% |
| 2019 | #17 | 10,169 | 0.5670% |
| 2018 | #17 | 10,423 | 0.5741% |
| 2017 | #20 | 10,466 | 0.5656% |
| 2016 | #17 | 11,311 | 0.5962% |
| 2015 | #17 | 12,293 | 0.6415% |
| 2014 | #18 | 12,240 | 0.6374% |
| 2013 | #16 | 12,609 | 0.6667% |
| 2012 | #21 | 12,497 | 0.6589% |
| 2011 | #23 | 12,407 | 0.6533% |
| 2010 | #25 | 11,823 | 0.6163% |
| 2009 | #27 | 12,123 | 0.6113% |
| 2008 | #32 | 11,641 | 0.5707% |
| 2007 | #33 | 11,666 | 0.5622% |
| 2006 | #35 | 10,895 | 0.5301% |
| 2005 | #44 | 9,580 | 0.4797% |
| 2004 | #48 | 8,977 | 0.4523% |
| 2003 | #52 | 8,713 | 0.4411% |
| 2002 | #50 | 8,153 | 0.4199% |
| 2001 | #60 | 6,836 | 0.3519% |
| 2000 | #72 | 5,903 | 0.3006% |
| 1999 | #83 | 4,993 | 0.2600% |
| 1998 | #100 | 3,861 | 0.2020% |
| 1997 | #124 | 3,126 | 0.1658% |
| 1996 | #136 | 2,644 | 0.1396% |
| 1995 | #161 | 2,163 | 0.1136% |
| 1994 | #166 | 1,934 | 0.1001% |
| 1993 | #198 | 1,538 | 0.0784% |
| 1992 | #223 | 1,363 | 0.0682% |
| 1991 | #241 | 1,177 | 0.0583% |
| 1990 | #317 | 792 | 0.0386% |
| 1989 | #421 | 495 | 0.0247% |
| 1988 | #460 | 389 | 0.0203% |
| 1987 | #479 | 344 | 0.0184% |
| 1986 | #508 | 300 | 0.0163% |
| 1985 | #510 | 293 | 0.0159% |
| 1984 | #520 | 269 | 0.0149% |
| 1983 | #510 | 274 | 0.0153% |
| 1982 | #510 | 276 | 0.0152% |
| 1981 | #482 | 301 | 0.0168% |
| 1980 | #502 | 284 | 0.0159% |
| 1979 | #523 | 261 | 0.0152% |
| 1978 | #583 | 210 | 0.0128% |
| 1977 | #594 | 203 | 0.0124% |
| 1976 | #612 | 180 | 0.0115% |
| 1975 | #694 | 143 | 0.0092% |
| 1974 | #721 | 129 | 0.0082% |
| 1973 | #695 | 133 | 0.0085% |
| 1972 | #758 | 110 | 0.0068% |
| 1971 | #785 | 107 | 0.0061% |
| 1970 | #791 | 108 | 0.0058% |
| 1969 | #834 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 1968 | #719 | 110 | 0.0063% |
| 1967 | #760 | 94 | 0.0054% |
| 1966 | #807 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 1965 | #731 | 104 | 0.0056% |
| 1964 | #763 | 101 | 0.0051% |
| 1963 | #739 | 110 | 0.0054% |
| 1962 | #745 | 105 | 0.0051% |
| 1961 | #801 | 91 | 0.0043% |
| 1960 | #728 | 112 | 0.0053% |
| 1959 | #711 | 117 | 0.0055% |
| 1958 | #686 | 121 | 0.0057% |
| 1957 | #669 | 130 | 0.0060% |
| 1956 | #686 | 120 | 0.0057% |
| 1955 | #653 | 127 | 0.0062% |
| 1954 | #672 | 115 | 0.0056% |
| 1953 | #625 | 132 | 0.0067% |
| 1952 | #551 | 162 | 0.0083% |
| 1951 | #538 | 159 | 0.0084% |
| 1950 | #524 | 164 | 0.0092% |
| 1949 | #531 | 158 | 0.0089% |
| 1948 | #495 | 178 | 0.0101% |
| 1947 | #493 | 187 | 0.0102% |
| 1946 | #480 | 178 | 0.0110% |
| 1945 | #458 | 168 | 0.0125% |
| 1944 | #457 | 177 | 0.0130% |
| 1943 | #437 | 206 | 0.0144% |
| 1942 | #443 | 196 | 0.0142% |
| 1941 | #440 | 176 | 0.0143% |
| 1940 | #449 | 167 | 0.0144% |
| 1939 | #452 | 162 | 0.0146% |
| 1938 | #464 | 156 | 0.0141% |
| 1937 | #443 | 159 | 0.0149% |
| 1936 | #432 | 167 | 0.0161% |
| 1935 | #433 | 168 | 0.0161% |
| 1934 | #424 | 175 | 0.0169% |
| 1933 | #445 | 155 | 0.0156% |
| 1932 | #434 | 167 | 0.0160% |
| 1931 | #411 | 188 | 0.0181% |
| 1930 | #390 | 216 | 0.0197% |
| 1929 | #414 | 202 | 0.0188% |
| 1928 | #373 | 244 | 0.0220% |
| 1927 | #430 | 199 | 0.0177% |
| 1926 | #386 | 231 | 0.0208% |
| 1925 | #379 | 249 | 0.0223% |
| 1924 | #405 | 229 | 0.0202% |
| 1923 | #363 | 269 | 0.0245% |
| 1922 | #403 | 225 | 0.0207% |
| 1921 | #385 | 246 | 0.0223% |
| 1920 | #389 | 233 | 0.0219% |
| 1919 | #378 | 235 | 0.0240% |
| 1918 | #402 | 216 | 0.0213% |
| 1917 | #392 | 206 | 0.0223% |
| 1916 | #421 | 177 | 0.0199% |
| 1915 | #406 | 175 | 0.0206% |
| 1914 | #390 | 149 | 0.0228% |
| 1913 | #418 | 107 | 0.0209% |
| 1912 | #405 | 91 | 0.0212% |
| 1911 | #430 | 46 | 0.0204% |
| 1910 | #360 | 51 | 0.0263% |
| 1909 | #402 | 38 | 0.0232% |
| 1908 | #377 | 38 | 0.0246% |
| 1907 | #299 | 52 | 0.0354% |
| 1906 | #370 | 33 | 0.0248% |
| 1905 | #342 | 36 | 0.0272% |
| 1904 | #275 | 49 | 0.0382% |
| 1903 | #324 | 34 | 0.0285% |
| 1902 | #305 | 40 | 0.0326% |
| 1901 | #388 | 24 | 0.0225% |
| 1900 | #266 | 60 | 0.0399% |
| 1899 | #319 | 31 | 0.0292% |
| 1898 | #387 | 26 | 0.0212% |
| 1897 | #280 | 42 | 0.0372% |
| 1896 | #333 | 32 | 0.0268% |
| 1895 | #327 | 32 | 0.0273% |
| 1894 | #312 | 32 | 0.0276% |
| 1893 | #337 | 28 | 0.0249% |
| 1892 | #333 | 32 | 0.0262% |
| 1891 | #299 | 31 | 0.0306% |
| 1890 | #354 | 25 | 0.0225% |
| 1889 | #255 | 42 | 0.0380% |
| 1888 | #299 | 36 | 0.0298% |
| 1887 | #301 | 31 | 0.0306% |
| 1886 | #260 | 43 | 0.0388% |
| 1885 | #314 | 29 | 0.0269% |
| 1884 | #303 | 33 | 0.0288% |
| 1883 | #283 | 34 | 0.0325% |
| 1882 | #240 | 49 | 0.0431% |
| 1881 | #309 | 28 | 0.0278% |
| 1880 | #247 | 46 | 0.0416% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Jackson
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Recent Favorite Boy Names
Explore More Lists with Name Jackson
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with J
How the Name Jackson Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Jackson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jackson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.