Johnson is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
,
ScottishThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, and
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
name of Norman origin. The name itself is a patronym of the
given nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
John, literally meaning "son of John." The name
John derives from
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
JohannesJohannes is the Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek name Ιωάννης , itself derived from the Hebrew name Yehochanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious". The name became popular in Northern Europe, especially in Germany...
, which is derived through
GreekGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Ἰωάννης
Iōannēs, from Hebrew יוחנן
YohananYochanan is a Jewish given name which may refer to:* Yochanan bar Nafcha , a rabbi in the early era of the Talmud* Yochanan ben Nuri, tanna of the 1st and 2nd centuries* Yochanan Afek , Israeli chess player...
meaning "Yahweh has favoured". The name was extremely popular in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
since the Christian era, as a result of it being given to St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist and nearly one thousand other Christian saints. Johnson is the tenth most common surname in the United Kingdom, and second most common in the United States.
Description
In
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the surname
Johnson has absorbed many variants of this patronym from European languages, as well as the Danish Jørgensen (which does not share its root with Johnson, but is derived from Latin Georgius). It is the second most common family name in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after
SmithSmith is an English family name originating in England. It is the most common surname in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, the second most common surname in Canada, and the fifth most common surname in Ireland...
. During the 1990
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, approximately 0.81% of people counted had this family name.
In
IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
,
Johnson is the Anglicization of the Gaelic surnames
Mac Sean (McShane) or
Mac Eoin (McKeown).
Notable people sharing the surname Johnson
- Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
(1709–1784), English author
- Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
(1808–1875), 17th President of the United States
- Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
(1908–1973), 36th President of the United States
- Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
(born 1964), British politician
- Earvin "Magic" Johnson (born 1959), American Professional Basketball Player
See also
- Jensen
- Jonson
Jonson is a surname, and may refer to:* Ben Jonson , English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor* Gail Jonson , former medley and butterfly swimmer* Mattias Jonson , Swedish professional football player...
- Jonsson
Jonsson is a surname of Nordic origin, meaning son of Jon. In Iceland the name is a part of the Patronymic name systemPeople with this surname include:*Åke Jonsson, Swedish motocross racer* André Jonsson, Swedish ski mountaineer and cross-country skier...
- Johansson
Johansson is a patronymic family name meaning "son of Johan", or "Johan's son". It is the most common Swedish family name, followed by Andersson....
- Johnsson
Johnsson is a Swedish surname meaning "John's son".People with surname Johnsson:* Christofer Johnsson, Swedish heavy metal musician* Kim Johnsson, Swedish ice hockey player* Sonja Johnsson, Swedish Swimmer...
- Johnston
Johnston is a surname which in most cases is a habitational surname derived from several places in Scotland, however it can most also be a variant of the surname Johnstone. The surname is most common throughout Scotland and Ireland.-Etymology:...
- Jovanović
Jovanović is a common Serbian surname. It derives from Jovan, which is comparable to John in English. The part ov designates possession: Jovanov means John's. The suffix ić is a diminutive designation, or descendant designation...
- Jones
Jones is a common Celtic Welsh surname based on the English version of the parent's name ending in -S. In 1881 people with this surname were largely confined to Wales. By 1998 many Welsh people had migrated to cities in England particularly those adjacent to Wales. The earliest record of the name...