Re: Anyone knows what the word "son" in Johnson, Jackson, Richardson, etc. means??
in reply to a message by Steve McNair
It's dead simple it means son of
ie "that guy over there is John's son"
People in England didn't start using surnames til the 12th century approx. and these were amongst the first to be used.
ie "that guy over there is John's son"
People in England didn't start using surnames til the 12th century approx. and these were amongst the first to be used.
Replies
It actually originates in Scandinavia, with names like "Anderson" and "Kristenson". It was later adopted by the English, when the Vikings invaded, hence the more English sounding Johnson, Jackson and Richardson.