Edson is an English surname meaning "son of Ed" or "son of Edward", with Edward itself meaning "wealthy guardian". In Brazil it became a popular first name, and the soccer legend Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, named after Thomas Edison. In the United States Edson has stayed just outside the top 1000, peaking at number 1238 in 2002, and ranks number 1735 among boys' names in 2025.