| Jackson | Ralph | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Son of Jack | counsel wolf |
| Origin | English | english |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JAK-sun | RALF |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2013 (12,610) | 1921 (8,860) |
| In 2025 | 6,582 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jackson | Ralph |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 47,360 | 1,113 |
| 2010s | 116,264 | 1,978 |
| 2000s | 94,488 | 2,779 |
| 1990s | 23,595 | 4,474 |
| 1980s | 3,224 | 7,998 |
| 1970s | 1,580 | 14,755 |
| 1960s | 992 | 34,190 |
| 1950s | 1,347 | 60,440 |
| 1940s | 1,791 | 64,983 |
| 1930s | 1,713 | 63,802 |
| 1920s | 2,327 | 84,466 |
| 1910s | 1,453 | 52,522 |
| 1900s | 404 | 9,298 |
| 1890s | 311 | 6,951 |
| 1880s | 371 | 4,269 |
Jackson is an English surname meaning “son of Jack (John).” Associated with figures such as President Andrew Jackson, it has surged as a first name in recent decades.
Contracted from the Germanic/Old Norse name Radulf (Radulfr, Old English Raedwulf), combining 'rad' ('counsel, advice') and 'wulf/ulfr' ('wolf'), hence 'counsel wolf'.
Jackson is more popular than Ralph today: about 6,582 US babies were given the name Jackson in 2025, compared with 0 named Ralph.
Jackson means Son of Jack (English origin), while Ralph means counsel wolf (english origin).
In US records, Jackson first appears in 1880 and Ralph in 0, so Ralph has the longer recorded history.