The UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook states that ' Douglas Crockford, who named and promoted the JSON format, says it's pronounced like the name Jason. The first (2013) edition of ECMA-404 did not address the pronunciation. s ə n/, as in ' Jason and The Argonauts ''.
The 2017 international standard (ECMA-404 and ISO/IEC 21778:2017) specifies 'Pronounced / ˈ dʒ eɪ.
The acronym originated at State Software, a company co-founded by Douglas Crockford and others in March 2001.