Johnson
/ˈdʒɒn.sən/noun
A surname meaning “son of John.”
Did you know?Johnson is a classic patronymic surname built from John + son, and John itself comes from Hebrew Yōḥānān, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Heb
Yōḥānān
““Yahweh is gracious””
Greek (New Testament)
Gk
Iōannēs
“The Greek form of John”
Latin
Lat
Iohannes
“The Latin form of John”
Old English / Middle English
Eng
John
“A common personal name from the biblical tradition”
Middle English
Eng
-son
“A patronymic suffix meaning “son of””
14th–15th Century
Eng
Johnson
“A hereditary surname meaning “son of John””
Modern English
Eng
Johnson
“A common English surname”