Branson
- Pronunciation
- [Bran-son]
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- Variant Of Brandon.
- Origin
- Irish
About the Name Branson
Branson is an English surname-style name traditionally understood as a variant of Brandon, with the patronymic ending "-son" giving it the feel of "son of Brand." Brisk and modern, it belongs to the popular family of two-syllable boys' names ending in "-son" that gained wide favor in recent decades for their masculine, all-American sound. Its familiar shape makes it instantly approachable while still feeling distinct from more common cousins.
The name reflects a broader American trend of turning surnames and place-names into appealing first names, and Branson carries an outdoorsy, easygoing character that fits comfortably alongside contemporary favorites. Its friendly, confident sound has helped it appeal to parents who want a name that feels current and rugged without being overused. The blend of a familiar root with a fresh, surname-style finish gives it a versatility that works well from childhood through adulthood.
Branson first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2000 and appeared through 2021, reaching its peak in 2014 at rank #675. It registered 244 births in 2021 at rank #926, with 258 in 2020 at #875 and 281 in 2019 at #811, reflecting a name that enjoyed a long, steady run before slipping from the top-1000. Its crisp, confident sound has made it a comfortable choice for families drawn to modern surname names.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Branson
US Popularity History (2000–2021)
Annual US births named Branson by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2014 with 377 boys named Branson (boy rank #675 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2021, ranked #926 for boys (244 US births). That's 251 places below its 2014 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Where in the US Is Branson Most Popular?
Average boy-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Branson the strongest states are West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi.
Strongest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | #257 | 79 |
| 2 | Kentucky | #402 | 105 |
| 3 | Mississippi | #437 | 56 |
| 4 | Louisiana | #471 | 103 |
| 5 | Tennessee | #524 | 128 |
| 6 | Indiana | #546 | 113 |
| 7 | Alabama | #549 | 67 |
| 8 | Oregon | #551 | 18 |
| 9 | Ohio | #577 | 164 |
| 10 | South Carolina | #581 | 41 |
Weakest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | #950 | 62 |
| 2 | Michigan | #915 | 27 |
| 3 | Washington | #904 | 23 |
| 4 | Texas | #802 | 284 |
| 5 | Colorado | #766 | 22 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | #763 | 72 |
| 7 | Virginia | #733 | 63 |
| 8 | Georgia | #694 | 107 |
| 9 | Utah | #636 | 17 |
| 10 | North Carolina | #612 | 120 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Branson in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Looking for names like Branson?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Branson to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Branson against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).