Stevenson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Stephen.”
The #432 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,107 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stevenson is an English surname built from the personal name Stephen, plus the patronymic suffix -son, meaning “son of.” In older records the name appears in forms like Stevenson and related spellings for descendants of a man named Stephen. The given name Stephen ultimately comes from Greek Stephanos, meaning “crown” or “garland.”
History
Medieval records show the surname in England by the 14th century, including Yorkshire tax records cited by older surname writers. It has remained a common English and Scottish surname, and it also developed alongside related forms such as Stephens, Stevens, Stephenson, and Steevens. Some older authors discussed occasional spelling shifts between Stevenson and nearby forms like Stinson or Stimpson, but the basic origin is the same patronymic structure.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The first name behind Stevenson, Stephen, comes from a Greek word for a wreath or crown—so the surname ultimately means “son of the crowned one.”
From the historical record
“STEVENS, Steven's (Son) \ etaohen STEVENSON, Steven's Son/ '• "^^Pien. Thomas Stevenson. — Yorks PfiU-Tax, A.D. 1379. STEVENTON (Eng.) Bel. to Steventon or Ste- vington (Berks : 14th cent. Styvington, 13th cent. Styvintott, Stivinton, Domesday Stivetune ; Beds : 13th cent. Stivinton, Domesday Stiventone ; Hants …”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Stevenson
- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)
- Jill Biden (b. 1951)
- Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.