Jackson is an English surname that means "son of Jack", and Jack itself grew out of John, "God is gracious". The surname belongs to President Andrew Jackson and painter Jackson Pollock, and it moved into first-name use in the United States in the late 20th century. Jackson ranked number 72 in 2000, stayed in the top 20 for most of the 2010s with a peak at number 14 in 2021, and ranks number 36 among boys in 2025.