| Carter | Mason | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Cart driver | Stoneworker |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KAR-ter | MAY-sun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2015 (10,814) | 2011 (19,530) |
| In 2025 | 6,024 | 6,291 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Carter | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 39,334 | 47,313 |
| 2010s | 95,261 | 157,911 |
| 2000s | 52,320 | 90,502 |
| 1990s | 9,725 | 32,880 |
| 1980s | 1,680 | 5,541 |
| 1970s | 1,359 | 2,296 |
| 1960s | 1,345 | 958 |
| 1950s | 1,612 | 848 |
| 1940s | 1,340 | 867 |
| 1930s | 863 | 833 |
| 1920s | 881 | 1,212 |
| 1910s | 680 | 878 |
| 1900s | 199 | 219 |
| 1890s | 134 | 171 |
| 1880s | 100 | 154 |
Carter is an English occupational surname for one who drives or makes carts.
Mason is an English occupational surname for a stoneworker, from the Old French maçon. It became one of the top boys’ names of the 2010s.
Mason is more popular than Carter today: about 6,291 US babies were given the name Mason in 2025, compared with 6,024 named Carter.
Carter means Cart driver (English origin), while Mason means Stoneworker (English origin).
In US records, Carter first appears in 1881 and Mason in 1880, so Mason has the longer recorded history.