| Jack | Mason | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Stoneworker |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JAK | MAY-sun |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1927 (12,802) | 2011 (19,530) |
| In 2025 | 8,748 | 6,291 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jack | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 53,384 | 47,313 |
| 2010s | 85,695 | 157,911 |
| 2000s | 95,512 | 90,502 |
| 1990s | 37,501 | 32,880 |
| 1980s | 15,944 | 5,541 |
| 1970s | 18,562 | 2,296 |
| 1960s | 35,593 | 958 |
| 1950s | 62,387 | 848 |
| 1940s | 73,919 | 867 |
| 1930s | 96,396 | 833 |
| 1920s | 115,983 | 1,212 |
| 1910s | 49,526 | 878 |
| 1900s | 9,222 | 219 |
| 1890s | 4,635 | 171 |
| 1880s | 2,684 | 154 |
Jack began as a medieval pet form of John and grew so common it became a word for “man” (as in “every man Jack”). Now a name in its own right, it is one of the most popular boys’ names in Britain and Ireland.
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.
Jack is more popular than Mason today: about 8,748 US babies were given the name Jack in 2025, compared with 6,291 named Mason.
Jack means God is gracious (English origin), while Mason means Stoneworker (English origin).
In US records, Jack first appears in 1880 and Mason in 1880, so Jack has the longer recorded history.