Jason
Boy name · #165 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Jason? In official American birth records, Jason has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Jason ranks #165 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,224 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #86, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 809 boys born in 2025 was named Jason.
The 145-year story
Jason first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 20 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1977, when 55,631 boys were named Jason — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Jason per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jason against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jason in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jason is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Jason is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jason is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Jason is most common in AK (4.8 per 1,000), RI (3.2 per 1,000), NV (2.5 per 1,000), MA (2.4 per 1,000), MD (2.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Jason is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Jason
Statistically, parents drawn to Jason tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jeremy, Damon, Brian, Jamie, and Jesse.
JeremyDamonBrianJamieJesseAaronKevinJoel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jason | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,224 | #165 |
| 2024 | 2,455 | #148 |
| 2023 | 2,465 | #147 |
| 2022 | 2,609 | #146 |
| 2021 | 2,875 | #129 |
| 2020 | 3,105 | #119 |
| 2019 | 3,579 | #103 |
| 2018 | 3,880 | #99 |
| 2017 | 4,256 | #92 |
| 2016 | 4,886 | #84 |
| 2015 | 5,025 | #86 |
| 2014 | 5,568 | #75 |
| 2013 | 5,519 | #79 |
| 2012 | 5,759 | #76 |
| 2011 | 5,854 | #71 |
| 2010 | 6,279 | #69 |
| 2009 | 6,927 | #66 |
| 2008 | 7,662 | #60 |
| 2007 | 8,120 | #59 |
| 2006 | 8,456 | #55 |
| 2005 | 8,614 | #51 |
| 2004 | 9,063 | #47 |
| 2003 | 9,822 | #42 |
| 2002 | 9,956 | #42 |
| 2001 | 10,164 | #41 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Jason?
In official American birth records, the name Jason first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 20 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Jason a popular boy name?
Jason ranked #165 among boys in 2025 with 2,224 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #86.
When was the name Jason most popular?
Jason peaked in 1977, when 55,631 American boys received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1977 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jason?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 809 newborn American boys was named Jason. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.