The Johnson Surname
- Meaning
- son of John
- Type
- Patronymic
- Root
- English
- Chiefly
- Throughout England
John was the commonest male name in medieval England by a wide margin, which makes Johnson one of the commonest patronymics. It comes from the Hebrew Yohanan, ‘God is gracious’, by way of Latin and French.
Jones is the Welsh equivalent and Johnston a separate Scottish name from a place, so the three are often confused and only two are related.
Bestow the name a title it never had
An honorific Lord or Lady certificate in the Johnson name, hand-finished and sealed, with a square metre of Scottish woodland dedicated alongside it. A novelty, magnificently done — and a good deal more fun than a family tree.
Choose a Package The Peerage Chart