| Mason | Jack | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Stoneworker | God is gracious |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | MAY-sun | JAK |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2011 (19,530) | 1927 (12,802) |
| In 2025 | 6,291 | 8,748 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Mason | Jack |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 47,313 | 53,384 |
| 2010s | 157,911 | 85,695 |
| 2000s | 90,502 | 95,512 |
| 1990s | 32,880 | 37,501 |
| 1980s | 5,541 | 15,944 |
| 1970s | 2,296 | 18,562 |
| 1960s | 958 | 35,593 |
| 1950s | 848 | 62,387 |
| 1940s | 867 | 73,919 |
| 1930s | 833 | 96,396 |
| 1920s | 1,212 | 115,983 |
| 1910s | 878 | 49,526 |
| 1900s | 219 | 9,222 |
| 1890s | 171 | 4,635 |
| 1880s | 154 | 2,684 |
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 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.
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.
Mason means Stoneworker (English origin), while Jack means God is gracious (English origin).
In US records, Mason first appears in 1880 and Jack in 1880, so Mason has the longer recorded history.