Jackson
Jackson was the 36th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,582 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 2013 (12,610). Over the last ten years it has moved down 19 places. More babies were named Jackson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Jack · English
Say it JAK-sun /ˈdʒæksən/
- Rank in 2025
- #36 boys, down 19 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,582boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201312,610 babies
- Total since 1880
- 297,998babies recorded
What does the name Jackson mean?
Jackson is an English surname meaning 'son of Jack', and Jack itself is a pet form of John. As a first name it is a transfer from the surname. Wiktionary records US slang 'jackson' for a $20 bill, from Andrew Jackson's portrait.
Jack + -son (English, “son of Jack”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names.
Nicknames for Jackson
The usual nicknames for Jackson are Jack and Jax. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Jackson in the last five years, 116 were named Jack, against 111 twenty years earlier. Jax is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack · also for John | Modern | #15 | 44,439 |
| Jax · also for Jaxton | Modern | #342 | 5,944 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jacksons go by each one.
Jackson popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 778 since 1925, 15 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #36 | 6,582 |
| 2020 | #17 | 9,138 |
| 2010 | #25 | 11,823 |
| 2000 | #72 | 5,903 |
| 1990 | #317 | 794 |
| 1980 | #504 | 283 |
| 1970 | #792 | 108 |
| 1960 | #729 | 112 |
| 1950 | #524 | 164 |
| 1940 | #450 | 166 |
| 1930 | #390 | 216 |
| 1920 | #389 | 233 |
| 1910 | #360 | 51 |
| 1900 | #266 | 60 |
| 1890 | #354 | 25 |
| 1880 | #247 | 46 |
How popular is Jackson, counting every spelling?
Jackson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #7 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #36 for Jackson on its own. Together these spellings went to 12,666 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 6,582 | #36 | 38,222 |
| Jaxon | 3,073 | #115 | 21,252 |
| Jaxson | 2,365 | #156 | 13,987 |
| Jaxxon | 318 | #793 | 1,675 |
| Jaxen | 122 | #1,462 | 748 |
| Jaxyn | 53 | #2,525 | 319 |
| Jaxsen | 38 | #3,158 | 252 |
| Jaxsyn | 30 | #3,698 | 228 |
| Jakson | 15 | #5,973 | 96 |
| Jaxin | 15 | #5,974 | 92 |
| Jaxxson | 13 | #6,616 | 89 |
| Jacksen | 12 | #6,958 | 69 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jackson?
6,582 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jackson (1.83 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jackson born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 29. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jackson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jackson?
About 285,400 people born in the US named Jackson are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 9 and 21. That makes Jackson mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jackson by state
How common Jackson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.1×), New Hampshire (2.8×), Maine (2.5×), Wyoming (2.4×), Montana (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Texas, California, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jackson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jackson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jackson · Sibling names for Jackson
Questions about the name Jackson
What does Jackson mean?
Jackson means “son of Jack” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jackson?
Jackson was the 36th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,582 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 2013 (12,610). Over the last ten years it has moved down 19 places. More babies were named Jackson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jackson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jackson in the US.
Where is Jackson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jackson was most common in Vermont (13.69 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and Maine.