Holding steady.
Popularity of Simpson since 1883
Babies named Simpson per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Simpson's real moment was 1884.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 37 |
| 1890s | 32 |
| 1900s | 19 |
| 1910s | 148 |
| 1920s | 148 |
| 1930s | 63 |
| 1940s | 92 |
| 1950s | 56 |
| 1960s | 34 |
| 1970s | 32 |
| 1980s | 35 |
| 1990s | 11 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Simpson is a surname-turned-first name that enjoyed a brief moment in the 1880s. First recorded in 1883, it reached its peak the following year in 1884, before fading into near obscurity. As of 2025, the name has no rank and an undetermined one-in-N rate, suggesting it is given to fewer than 5 boys annually. Its trajectory has been stable at this ultra-low level for decades. The name has never appeared in the top 1000 and has no strong association with any U.S. state, as births have been too few to register regionally. The name's appeal lies in its heritage as an English patronymic, evoking a classic, surname-as-first-name style.
Simpson is an English patronymic surname derived from the medieval given name Sim, a short form of Simon. The name literally means 'son of Sim'. Simon itself comes from the Hebrew Shim'on, meaning 'he has heard'. As a given name, Simpson is extremely rare, used primarily in the 19th century and likely drawn from the surname tradition.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sim, Simmy
Sibling names for Simpson
Names that share Simpson's style, for a brother or sister.
