| Jason | Mark | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | — | Of Mars |
| Origin | — | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | — | MARK |
| Syllables | — | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1977 (55,631) | 1960 (58,727) |
| In 2025 | 2,224 | 1,416 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jason | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 15,733 | 8,658 |
| 2010s | 50,605 | 21,108 |
| 2000s | 88,562 | 37,257 |
| 1990s | 91,731 | 75,816 |
| 1980s | 292,120 | 129,442 |
| 1970s | 462,709 | 194,260 |
| 1960s | 42,527 | 441,390 |
| 1950s | 3,783 | 382,589 |
| 1940s | 1,306 | 50,731 |
| 1930s | 880 | 7,444 |
| 1920s | 988 | 6,495 |
| 1910s | 630 | 4,134 |
| 1900s | 124 | 971 |
| 1890s | 142 | 953 |
| 1880s | 190 | 928 |
Jason comes from the Greek Iason, linked to iasthai, “to heal.” In Greek myth he is the hero who led the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece; the name also appears in the New Testament.
Mark comes from the Roman name Marcus, probably derived from Mars, the god of war. Mark the Evangelist is credited with the second Gospel.
Jason is more popular than Mark today: about 2,224 US babies were given the name Jason in 2025, compared with 1,416 named Mark.
In US records, Jason first appears in 1880 and Mark in 1880, so Jason has the longer recorded history.