Colson is an English surname meaning "son of Col", and Col was a medieval short form of Nicholas, "victory of the people". The novelist Colson Whitehead, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is the name's best-known bearer, and it fits neatly beside Colton and Carson. Colson entered the US top 1000 in 2017, shot up from number 1111 in 2015 to 311 in 2025 and stands at its highest rank so far.