The "-son" ending takeover

Jackson, Mason, Madison, Addison, Hudson... somewhere around 1990, Aussie parents collectively decided that every baby name should end in "-son". And they haven't looked back since.

Traditionally, "-son" meant "son of" — Johnson was John's son, Anderson was Anders's son. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being a family label and started being a vibe. Suddenly, Mason wasn't just "son of Mason" — it was a cool, modern name for a baby boy who might or might not have a dad named Mason.

The funny thing is, girls got in on the action too. Madison started as a throwaway line in Splash (the mermaid movie), and suddenly every second baby girl was Madison. Addison followed, then Allison, then Emerson. By the early 2000s, you couldn't turn around in a Canberra playgroup without bumping into a "-son".

Now the tide is turning. Short, punchy names like Leo and Kai are pushing back. But don't worry, the "-son" names aren't going anywhere. They're just taking a breather. They'll be back. They always are.