How to say it
CAR · son
/ˈkɑr.sən/
Masculine
Carson
Marsh dweller, or 'son of Carr'
What it means
Scottish surname of uncertain etymology, possibly from a Gaelic root for 'marsh' (carr) or 'son of Carr' (a Norse-derived personal name). Kit Carson the frontiersman + Carson Daly the TV host cover most of the cultural surface.
Carson is a Scottish surname of disputed etymology. The most common reading is from a Gaelic root carr ('rock' or 'marsh'); another reading is 'son of Carr' (Carr being a Norse-derived personal name). Kit Carson (1809-1868), the American frontiersman and trapper, gave the surname its Western anchor; Carson City, Nevada, is named for him. Carson Daly (the MTV TRL host turned NBC's The Voice) and Downton Abbey's butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) cover the modern English-language anchors. The first-name usage in the US started in the 1980s and is now solidly top-150.
Popularity over time
peaked at #70 in 2018, currently #124 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Kit Carson and Carson Daly are the two dominant anchors; Downton Abbey's Mr. Carson the butler is the smaller third.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Kit Carson American frontiersman, scout, and Union general, 1809-1868
- Carson Daly American TV host, MTV's TRL and NBC's The Voice
Spelling variants
- Karson
Names with the same feeling
See Carson from another angle
By style