Godson
/ˈɡɒd.sʌn/noun
A male child whose baptism sponsors are his godparents.
Did you know?The word is an old English compound built from religious kinship, where a godparent was treated as a real spiritual relation, not just a ceremonial role.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
godes sunu
“literally 'God's son,' used in the sense of a spiritual or baptismal relation”
Middle English
English
god sone
“a male child in a baptismal or spiritual kinship relationship”
Late Middle English
English
godsone
“spelled as one word, with the religious kinship sense stabilized”
Modern English
English
godson
“the male child for whom one acts as a godparent”