Colson

Colson - A very unique male name

Colson appeared on the charts for the first time in 1998 on position #2930. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Colson and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Colson? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Colson. The baby boy name Colson was given to 1,078 baby boys in 2025, ranking #309 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,360 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Colson peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 309.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Colson, 1-5?

Colson is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Colson is currently topping the baby name charts in Wyoming at position #100 - and is the least popular in California at position #938.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Colson is where you live.

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Colson origin and meaning

English — transferred surname

'Son of Cole' — a patronymic surname; Cole itself comes from an Old English nickname, Cola, probably for swarthy or dark features

Colson is a medieval 'son of Cole' surname that became a first name only recently — in US data from 1998 — and has climbed to a peak at #309 in 2025 with the -son name wave. Author Colson Whitehead is its most distinguished bearer. It offers Cole as a built-in short form without using the now-common Cole itself.

Attested etymology

Colson is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Colson, pop culture references for the name Colson and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Colson

We've found the following names that sound similar to Colson, sorted by popularity.

Coleson / Colsen / Coulson / Cleason / Callaghan /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Colson

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Colson a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Colson?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KOHL-sun · /ˈkoʊlsən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Coleson — Elaborated spelling
• Coulson — Surname spelling also used as a given name

Nicknames: ColeCol

Famous bearers

• Colson Whitehead — American novelist, Pulitzer Prize winner for The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys; born Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead (b. 1969) Contemporary

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Colson gives parents a literary, surname-style route to Cole, and it is at its most popular in 2025.

Worth knowing

• It is frequently misheard as Colton or Coulson, and many will know it only as a surname.