Carson is a Scottish surname of uncertain origin, usually explained as "son of Carr", with Carr going back to a Norse word for "marsh". Frontiersman Kit Carson gave the name its Western ring, and Carson City in Nevada is named after him. Carson ranked number 119 in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2001 and peaked at number 70 in 2018, and in 2025 it stands at number 124.