Mason Dixon: Good baby name?

An Ann Landers column from 1995 featured a letter from one Mrs. Dixon, whose husband wanted to name their child Mason — “Mason Dixon” (as in, the Mason-Dixon line).

“I’m afraid our son would be made fun of throughout his life,” Mrs. Dixon said.

Ann agreed: “I’m on your side. To saddle a child with the name Mason Dixon would surely make him a lifelong butt of jokes.”

The reader responses printed a few months later, though, tended to be more supportive.

  • From Rose Rose: “I attribute my sense of humor to the fact that I had such an unusual name.”
  • From Mason Dickson: “Go for it. I’ve had a lot of fun with this name, and people always remember me.”
  • From Janice Mason Jarr, formerly Janice Mason Dixon: “No great improvement.”

Where do you stand on the name Mason Dixon — thumbs up or thumbs down?

Source: “Unusual name is just fine.” Portsmouth Daily Times 19 Jun. 1995: B4.

5 thoughts on “Mason Dixon: Good baby name?

  1. I know a Southern couple who named their boy girl twins Mason (boy) and Dixon (girl). I think Mason is fine for a boy, but Dixon is just odd to me for a girl.

  2. I wouldn’t. Your child’s birth certificate is not the place to express your sense of humor. If you absolutely must, maybe make it FirstName Mason Dixon so he has an alternative if he hates the joke.

  3. I love the name Mason Dixon! I would definitely name our son that… its a great, strong, Southern name and is certainly memorable.

  4. My name is Mason Dixon, and really the only thing I’ve gotten made fun of for was my last name, which sounds like another word to some people, not my first name. In fact, the only people who really seem to comment on it are American history lovers, people I tend to get along with quite well! My name actually WAS a joke by my dad, and my mom didn’t even know what the Mason-Dixon line was, so she of course loved the suggestion, and here I am! My only hope is that I’ll be able to name my kid Mason Dixon Jr. to continue the joke by creating an actual Mason Dixon line!

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