Tyson is an English surname turned first name; it is usually traced to the Old French tison, "firebrand", a nickname for a hot-tempered person, or read as "son of Dye", a medieval short form of Dionysius. Boxer Mike Tyson made it a household name in the 1980s. In the United States Tyson stood at number 335 in 2000, peaked at number 237 in 2009 and has eased to number 531 among boys' names in 2025.