Stetson
Stetson was the 136th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,662 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 639 places. More babies were named Stetson in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, Old English
Say it STET-suhn /ˈstɛtsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #136 boys, up 351 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,662boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,662 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,725babies recorded
What does the name Stetson mean?
Stetson is an English surname, best known from the Stetson cowboy hat made by the company founded by John B. Stetson in 1865. Wiktionary explains the surname as a variant of Stitson, a place name from Stidston in Devon, from an Old English personal name, Stithweard, and tun, 'farmstead'. As a first name it is a recent American choice that draws on the hat's Western image.
*Stīþweard (Old English, “personal name (reconstructed)”)tūn (Old English, “farmstead”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The place-name derivation rests on a reconstructed personal name; one dictionary source.
Related names: Stet.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Stetson', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Stetson (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Stetson
The usual nicknames for Stetson are Stet.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stet | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Stetsons go by each one.
Stetson popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 121 since 2017, 37 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #136 | 2,662 |
| 2020 | #487 | 607 |
| 2010 | #1,227 | 145 |
| 2000 | #1,257 | 105 |
| 1990 | #1,054 | 102 |
| 1980 | #4,879 | 8 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,482 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Stetson, counting every spelling?
Stetson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #143 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #136 for Stetson on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,683 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stetson | 2,662 | #136 | 9,333 |
| Stetsen | 14 | #6,405 | 37 |
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 Stetson?
2,662 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Stetson (0.74 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Stetson born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Stetson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Stetson?
About 15,400 people born in the US named Stetson are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 2 and 10. That makes Stetson a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Stetson by state
How common Stetson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (9.0×), Montana (5.6×), North Dakota (4.6×), South Dakota (4.5×), Arkansas (4.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New York, Maryland, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Stetson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Stetson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Stetson · Sibling names for Stetson
Questions about the name Stetson
What does Stetson mean?
The origin of Stetson is uncertain: the place-name derivation rests on a reconstructed personal name; one dictionary source.
How popular is the name Stetson?
Stetson was the 136th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,662 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 639 places. More babies were named Stetson in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Stetson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Stetson in the US.
Where is Stetson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Stetson was most common in Wyoming (9.68 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and North Dakota.