Jason

The name Jason has a lineage that stretches back to ancient Greece, where it belonged to the hero who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. Its Greek root, iasthai, means "to heal," giving the name a quietly restorative undertone that contrasts with the epic adventures of its mythological bearer. For much of its history in the United States, Jason was a relatively uncommon name—a sleeper, waiting for its moment. That moment arrived with a vengeance in the mid-20th century. The name surged into the mainstream in the 1970s, propelled in part by the slasher-film icon Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise, and reached its all-time peak in 1977, when 55,631 baby boys were given the name. For reference, that is more Jasons born in a single year than many names manage in a decade.

Since that peak, the name has drifted into a long, gentle decline. In 2025, just 2,224 baby boys received the name—a 27% drop from the previous five-year period, signaling that Jason is now firmly in the "dad name" category. Yet this quiet descent is precisely what makes it appealing to parents who want a name that feels familiar but not overused, grounded but not dusty. It shares a similar crisp, two-syllable cadence with names like Ethan, Ryan, and Liam, but without the current ubiquity of those chart-toppers. The name has been carried by everyone from the astronaut Jason Reimuller to the musician Jason Mraz, and it retains a straightforward, everyman quality—neither too formal nor too trendy. For parents seeking a classic that has already weathered its biggest boom, Jason offers a steady, unpretentious choice with a deep-rooted mythic past.