Branson is an English surname that means "son of Brand", with Brand going back to the Old Norse brandr, a sword or firebrand. Americans also know it as the name of the entertainment town in the Missouri Ozarks and of the British entrepreneur Richard Branson. Branson was in the US top 1000 from 2000 on, peaked at number 675 in 2014, fell below the line in 2022 and ranks 1222 in 2025.