# Why did 'Jason' briefly become such a popular name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036 "2004-04-26T04:56:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clear\_Air\_Turbulence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clear\_Air\_Turbulence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clear_Air_Turbulence)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/1 "2004-04-26T04:56:08Z")
At the [Social Security Administration’s Baby Name site](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html) you can see that the boy’s name ‘Jason’ went from being the 420th most common boy’s name in the 1950s to being the 3rd most popular in the 1970s. It was 87th most popular in the 1960s, so I’m guessing that the name became popular in the latter half of the 1960s. Why did this fairly uncommon name become one of the top 3 so quickly? In the 1950s names like Santos, Royce, and Rufus were more popular than Jason. Was there a famous person or character who had the name in the 1960s? ---
**Author:** ![Roches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Roches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roches)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/2 "2004-04-26T12:03:36Z")
There was a character named Jason Weber on _The Guiding Light_ in the 1965-66 season. The name didn’t get to be on the top 10 list until 1971, but it may have started to become common in 1965, then become more and more common until it was one of the top 10 names. Alan Thicke’s character on _Family Ties_ was also named Jason, but this was during 1982-1989, so it seems more likely that the character was given a name that would have been very common at the time. It’s very unlikely that someone who was the character’s age in 1982 would have had that name – far more likely he would have been a John or Bob or Bill. (I wonder how likely it would have been for someone in 1955 to be named Ward.) ---
**Author:** ![robotic\_panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@robotic\_panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robotic_panda)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/3 "2004-04-26T12:14:10Z")
> [@Roches](#): > > Alan Thicke’s character on _Family Ties_ was also named Jason, but this was during 1982-1989, so it seems more likely that the character was given a name that would have been very common at the time. It’s very unlikely that someone who was the character’s age in 1982 would have had that name – far more likely he would have been a John or Bob or Bill. (I wonder how likely it would have been for someone in 1955 to be named Ward.) Nitpick… Alan Thicke was on _Growing Pains_, which was 1985-1992. So says [IMDB](http://imdb.com/title/tt0088527/). I’m actually ashamed for knowing that, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![robotic\_panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@robotic\_panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robotic_panda)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/4 "2004-04-26T12:19:39Z")
Oh and I forgot to add, my brother’s name is Jason, he was born in '75… I thought it was a Scandinavian name, as the rest of us have Scandinavian names. I’ve also noticed that in graphs with months at the bottom, its usually only the initial of the months, so July August September October November spells JASON. I thought it semi-interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/5 "2004-04-26T12:31:05Z")
[Jason King](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066672/) was a popular (and unbelievably camp) TV character in the UK in 1971, and the name seems to have really taken off over here after that. (What were those mothers thinking of? Including my sister … 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/6 "2004-04-26T12:31:41Z")
[Jason and the Argonauts](http://imdb.com/title/tt0057197/maindetails) was a very popular action flick in 1963 (eye-popping effects by Ray Harryhausen), with Jason as the dashing hero of Greek mythology. Nothing like brave deeds of daring-do to spark a wave of namesakes. ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/7 "2004-04-26T12:33:27Z")
> [@robotic\_panda](#): > > Oh and I forgot to add, my brother’s name is Jason, he was born in '75… I thought it was a Scandinavian name, as the rest of us have Scandinavian names. I’ve also noticed that in graphs with months at the bottom, its usually only the initial of the months, so July August September October November spells JASON. I thought it semi-interesting. My given name is occasionally Jason - I was born in 1973, but my parents (in particular my Dad) were inspired by the popular 1963 film, [Jason and the Argonauts](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057197/). OB ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/8 "2004-04-26T14:57:35Z")
Don’t forget there was a Jason on The Walton’s, which was extremely popular in the 1970’s. It would be interesting to know why the series’ creator, Earl Hamner, decided to give this character, based on his real-life brother Clifton, that name. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/9 "2004-04-26T17:30:42Z")
There was a sit-com in the US 1968-1970 called “Here Come the Brides” The three male stars were named Jason, Jeremy and Joshua. I believe all of these names subsequently became very popular. PS Bobby Sherman was Jeremy. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jason-briefly-become-such-a-popular-name/242036/10 "2004-04-26T17:51:02Z")
Jason Voorhees first appeared on screen on 1980. It appears as though the early 80’s also had a revival of sorts for the name…