Janson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Jan/John,” with Scandinavian and Low Countries parallels.
The #8,408 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 78,561 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Janson is a patronymic formed from Jan, a short form of John, plus -son, meaning “son of Jan/John.” In English records it can also appear as a spelling variant of Johnson, especially in northern dialect areas where vowel and consonant spellings shifted easily. Continental forms such as Dutch Janssen and Scandinavian Jansson are closely related and reinforce the same basic sense.
History
Historical surname dictionaries note Janson in English parish registers as an occasional spelling for Johnson, especially in northern England. The name is also common as a Continental patronymic, particularly in Dutch- and Scandinavian-influenced areas, where Jan is a standard form of John. Because of this, modern bearers may have either English or immigrant family lines behind the same spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers pointed out that some English parish records spell Johnson as Janson, showing how fluid surname spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“than Jennings. See John. JANSON. See John, and Janssen. JANSSEN. Originally from G uelderland. The head of the family was the Baron de Heez, one of the Protestant leaders against the Inquisition andthe tyranny of the Duke of Alva; he unfortunately fell into the hands of the Duke of Parma, and lost his estate and…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom