The Boy -sons

OK... we've looked at the -son names given to both boys and girls in 2012, as well as the -son names given to only girls in 2012. Now, let's look at the long list of -son names given to only boys in 2012. Most of them are various spellings of one name, so I will shorten the list first by gathering those spellings, but you can see the entire list of names in alphabetical order along with their number of births at the end of the post.

Aason, Aceson, Aeson, Ason, Ayson
Alson
Andersson
Anson
Benson
Braeson, Braison, Brason, Brayson, Breyson
Branson
Braxson
Brenson
Briceson, Brison, Bryceson, Brycson
Brinson
Bronson
Byson
Caeson, Caison, Cason, Kaeson, Kason, Keison
Carlson, Karlson
Carrson, Karrson
Chanson
Charleson
Chason, Chayson
Clayson
Coleson, Colson, Coulson, Kolson
Cyson, Khyson, Kison, Kyson
Daison, Dason, Dayson
Davidson
Davison
Daxson
Denilson
Dennison
Dickson
Drayson, Dreyson
Dyson
Eason
Eddison
Edenilson
Edinson
Edson
Eliason
Elson
Erickson, Ericson, Erikson
Everson
Ferguson
Garrison, Garyson
Gerson
Graceson, Graeson, Graison, Grason
Hanson
Hason, Hasson
Henderson
Henson
Herson
Hutchison
Hutson
Iason
Ison
Iverson
Jacson, Jakkson, Jakson, Jaxxson
Jaeson, Jahson, Jaison, Jasson, Jayson, Jaysson, Jeison, Jeson, Jeyson, Json
Jaimeson, Jamason, Jamyson, Jaymason, Jaymison
Jamerson
Janson
Jeferson, Jefferson
Jenson
Jerison
Jerson
Jetson, Jettson
Johnson
Judson
Jyson
Kelson
Kenson
Kingson
Larson, Larsson
Lason, Layson
Leeson
Liedson
Mackson, Macson, Makson, Maxson
Manson
Marson
Masson, Meyson
Matheson, Mathison
Matson, Mattson
Monson
Myson
Naason, Nason, Nayson
Nelson, Nilson
Nickson, Nixson
Nosson
Orson
Pason
Patterson
Paxson
Peterson
Rawson
Rayson
Richardson
Rickson
Robertson
Robinson
Robson
Ryerson
Ryson
Sampson
Samson
Stetson
Stevenson
Taison, Tayson
Tennison
Thompson
Thomson
Tison, Tyeson
Traeson, Trayson, Treson, Treyson
Tryson
Vinson
Watson
Wesson
Williamson
Willson, Wilson
Winson
Woodson
Yeison

A couple of interesting finds...

• I am really liking Aceson. It, and it's various spellings (Aeson is actually the most popular), could make a splash, especially with Ace being on the rise. I think it sticks out to me personally because of my fondness for sound-alike Asa. 
• Branson is quite popular among this bunch (see below)... possibly due to Downton Abbey?
• Why is Byson used, but not Bison?
• Eliason also sticks out to me. It seems to be a logical go-to for those wanting to honor an Elias or Eli.
• Grayson is on the list for both boys and girls, but alternate spelling Graceson could put a twist on this whole list by being able to honor a woman in the family... son of Grace?
• I never thought there could be so many spellings of Jason, but there are and Json takes the cake. (I actually like the look of Jaeson though.)
• And some of the spellings of Jameson produce a pronunciation dilemma... is it JAY-meh-son or JAY-MAY-son?
• In my look at Kel- names, I mention Kelson as an option, and now I say it could be a strong option for those wanting to honor a Kelly (or Kelli). :) 
• The various spellings of Mackson/Maxson could allow parents to honor a Mack OR a Max... but people on the playground may never know the difference.
• We have Herson and Myson, why is there no Hisson or Yourson?
• Have you ever considered Vinson? It could be an alternative to Vincent as well as a way to honor a Vince or Vincent.

What other observations can you make from the list? What is your favorite -son name for a boy?

As promised, the above list in alphabetical order with their number of births for 2012:

Aason	5
Aceson	15
Aeson	36
Alson	7
Andersson	5
Anson	157
Ason	7
Ayson	27
Benson	429
Braeson	8
Braison	23
Branson	338
Brason	9
Braxson	10
Brayson	179
Brenson	8
Breyson	14
Briceson	11
Brinson	7
Brison	71
Bronson	296
Bryceson	25
Brycson	5
Byson	6
Caeson	11
Caison	22
Carlson	9
Carrson	13
Cason	581
Chanson	9
Charleson	5
Chason	42
Chayson	10
Clayson	7
Coleson	59
Colson	144
Coulson	12
Cyson	7
Daison	14
Dason	26
Davidson	25
Davison	15
Daxson	13
Dayson	52
Denilson	20
Dennison	6
Dickson	6
Drayson	36
Dreyson	29
Dyson	95
Eason	127
Eddison	25
Edenilson	7
Edinson	9
Edson	59
Eliason	5
Elson	25
Erickson	22
Ericson	16
Erikson	16
Everson	17
Ferguson	6
Garrison	197
Garyson	5
Gerson	101
Graceson	10
Graeson	48
Graison	22
Grason	23
Hanson	43
Hason	8
Hasson	6
Henderson	19
Henson	14
Herson	8
Hutchison	7
Hutson	27
Iason	5
Ison	9
Iverson	27
Jacson	7
Jaeson	20
Jahson	5
Jaimeson	7
Jaison	36
Jakkson	5
Jakson	41
Jamason	14
Jamerson	13
Jamyson	5
Janson	25
Jasson	16
Jaxxson	17
Jaymason	11
Jaymison	12
Jayson	804
Jaysson	5
Jeferson	17
Jefferson	393
Jeison	13
Jenson	111
Jerison	5
Jerson	32
Jeson	5
Jetson	18
Jettson	8
Jeyson	16
Johnson	63
Json	7
Judson	177
Jyson	5
Kaeson	61
Karlson	5
Karrson	6
Kason	767
Keison	10
Kelson	40
Kenson	17
Khyson	7
Kingson	9
Kison	6
Kolson	25
Kyson	334
Larson	35
Larsson	5
Lason	8
Layson	5
Leeson	5
Liedson	5
Mackson	10
Macson	6
Makson	5
Manson	9
Marson	5
Masson	16
Matheson	8
Mathison	6
Matson	11
Mattson	7
Maxson	44
Meyson	5
Monson	8
Myson	16
Naason	5
Nason	24
Nayson	9
Nelson	461
Nickson	19
Nilson	11
Nixson	7
Nosson	52
Orson	31
Pason	5
Patterson	11
Paxson	39
Peterson	14
Rawson	6
Rayson	14
Richardson	9
Rickson	6
Robertson	6
Robinson	58
Robson	6
Ryerson	6
Ryson	16
Sampson	38
Samson	277
Stetson	163
Stevenson	13
Taison	12
Tayson	40
Tennison	6
Thompson	35
Thomson	7
Tison	12
Traeson	8
Trayson	23
Treson	7
Treyson	113
Tryson	6
Tyeson	16
Vinson	36
Watson	81
Wesson	87
Williamson	5
Willson	11
Wilson	418
Winson	12
Woodson	15
Yeison	19

The Girl -sons

We have already taken a look at the -son names given to both boys and girls in 2012. Now let's go through the -son names given to girls only:

Aadison	5
Addisson	5
Addyson	1262
Adyson	7
Alisson	312
Allinson	5
Allisson	77
Allyson	1263
Allysson	21
Alyson	551
Alysson	78
Attison	5
Ellason	14
Ellyson	36
Emyrson	7
Kennison	6
Krimson	9
Krymson	8
Maddison	903
Maddyson	49
Madisson	18
Madyson	479
Matison	7
Season	5

Most of them are just spelling variations of names given to both genders: Addison, Allison, Crimson, Ellison, Emerson, and Madison. But there are a few that are just for girls:

Allinson - I am not quite sure why this name is only given to girls, even historically, but it is. One reason could be because it is similar to Allison in sound. As for namesakes, there is an Allinson Flour company in the UK named after Thomas Allinson, a doctor who pushed the use of whole grain in bread. Is this name more popular in the UK and only now starting to appear in the US?

Kennison - This name has been given to boys previously, but to girls more so and even then not to very many. I am surprised it's not more popular in general. I would think "son of Ken" would be an option to those parents wanting to honor and Ken or Kenneth, but I see that Kenson might be the more attractive alternative. I'm sure there are several namesakes with the last name Kennison as well as a city in West Virginia that could account for the use of the name, but I am still stumped as so why it's used on girls more than boys.

Season - Obviously a word name, this is the least confusing of the three. If Winter, Autumn and Summer can be names for girls, why not Season?

What do you think of these girl -sons? Any insights on these names are more than welcomed!

A look at the boy -sons will come next week...

The Unisex -sons

There are a lot of names out there that end in -son. Originally, most (but not all) of those names were for sons named after their fathers. For example, Jackson means "son of Jack" and Anderson means "son of Andrew". The fact that there is a "son" in the name makes it seem masculine, but quite a few of these names are being taken over, or at least borrowed, by the girls. There are also a lot of -sen and -syn names that sound the same, but for this post we are just going to take a look at the -sons.

There are over 300 -son names in the 2012 Beyond the Top 1000 names list. I have gathered them all and decided to concentrate first on the names given to both boys and girls. Here they are with the number of births in 2012:

	GIRLS		BOYS
Addison	8122		169
Adison	126		12
Alison	1179		5
Allison	5387		8
Anderson	44		1239
Bryson	8		3995
Carson	151		4566
Cayson	5		247
Crimson	59		32
Dawson	31		1027
Edison	13		301
Ellison	234		43
Emerson	1301		828
Emmerson	134		9
Gibson	10		247
Grayson	177		4671
Greyson	40		2216
Harrison	15		2111
Hudson	72		4194
Jackson	22		12388
Jameson	46		1795
Jamieson	5		34
Jamison	47		530
Jason	6		5699
Jaxson	10		3634
Jaymeson	5		26
Kaison	5		149
Karson	63		833
Kayson	23		440
Lawson	17		487
Madison	11319		30
Maeson	10		50
Maison	18		202
Mason	80		18856
Mattison	73		6
Mayson	44		338
Morrison	8		51
Payson	111		59
Pearson	9		46
Peyson	19		16
Pierson	5		132
Reason	5		8
Tennyson	15		32
Tyson	5		1343
	29078		73104

Just a few thoughts on the above...

Names Dominated by Girls
As seen by the numbers above, Addison and its spelling variations, Ellison, Emerson and its spelling variations, and Madison and its spelling variations are originally boy names taken over by girls.

Alison/Allison is a diminutive of Alice and therefore originally female. Crimson is a word name and therefore basically unisex.

The only other name on the list that is dominated by girls is one that stuck out to me: Payson/Peyson. Is its use solely due to the character on Make It or Break It? Is it used because it's a twist on Peyton? Is it used by parents who love the few US cities that also carry this name? I'm not sure if it was originally male or not, but it's used mostly on girls nowadays.

The rest of the unisex -sons are predominantly given to boys.

Boy Names on Girls
Some of these predominantly male names are a surprising find on girls. Girls named Emerson and Madison are expected, however girls named Harrison and Jackson are not. What makes some of these more "girl" than others? With the big 4 mentioned above, it is probably the feminine nicknames in Addie, Ellie, Emmy and Maddie. Jackie has been used as a girl nickname for years, as has Jamie and Andie, so why hasn't Jackson, Jameson or Anderson taken off with girls? Now that I think of it, Hattie would be a cute nickname for a girl Harrison (Harry or Henry... Harriet or Henrietta... Hattie). But the rest of the other male-dominated names listed above are pretty masculine. I'm sure some of them were named after a loved one, but in any case I would love to know the individual stories behind the names!

As a side note, I'm digging girls named Gibson and Tennyson.

What do you think about this list? Any observations, true loves, or true dislikes?

More analysis of names ending in -son later in the week...