Johnson

Johnson - A very unique male name

Johnson appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #1174. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Johnson and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Johnson? 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 Johnson. The baby boy name Johnson was given to 13 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2854 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 112,791 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Johnson peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 642.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Johnson, 1-5?

Johnson is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Johnson is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,088 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,413.

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 Johnson is where you live.

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Johnson origin and meaning

English (transferred surname)

The surname Johnson means 'son of John'; John is from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'

Johnson is one of the commonest English surnames, used as a first name in small numbers since 1913. Its first-name use peaked in 2000 and has been falling since.

Attested etymology

Johnson is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Johnson

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

Jameson / Jamison / Jensen / Jenson / Jansen / Jamieson / Janson / Jaymeson / Jensyn / Jenkins /

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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 Johnson

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 Johnson 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 Johnson?

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

JON-sun · /ˈdʒɒnsən/

Around the world

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

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A surname-first name chosen usually to honour a family Johnson; as a given name it remains uncommon and unmistakably surname-like.

Worth knowing

• Reads as a surname first — expect 'last name?' confusion