Edson
An English surname often understood as a shortened form of Edwardson, though some 19th-century writers also connected it with the old element meaning “earth.”
The #8,455 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,044 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Edson is most commonly treated as a reduced patronymic surname, probably meaning “son of Ed” or a shortened form of Edwardson. In older English naming, Ed- could stand for Edward, Edmund, Edgar, or other names beginning with that element. Some 19th-century antiquaries also tried to explain it from Old English roots meaning “earth” + “son,” but that analysis is not generally accepted today as a surname explanation.
History
The name appears in medieval English records, and later became established as a hereditary surname in Britain. In English-speaking countries it can also overlap with variant forms of Edison or other Ed- surnames, which adds to the uncertainty of its exact origin in individual family lines. Modern bearers are found mainly in the United States and the British Isles.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because many different given names begin with Ed-, the surname Edson can be ambiguous without early family records.
From the historical record
“P- >34. Adam Edson, 1479 : ibid. p. 55. Edda mater Jobannis, 1^79: ibid, p. 84. ■533* Ricbard Eyddes and Johanna”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)