Tyson
Usually a patronymic surname meaning “son of Tyas” or, in some cases, a spelling variant of Dyson.
The #1,221 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,666 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tyson is generally explained as “Tyas’s son,” with Tyas being an old personal name. Some 19th-century surname writers also treated it as a variant of Dyson, reflecting a shift between d and t in English names. In Norman contexts, however, the name may also connect with Tison, an old Continental personal name recorded in medieval sources.
History
The name appears in medieval English records and was borne by Gilbert Tison, a Norman tenant-in-chief named in Domesday Book. In Britain, Tyson became established mainly as an English surname, while related forms such as Tuson and Tewson show the same name’s spelling variation over time. Modern Tysons are found widely in England and the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A medieval bearer of the related form Tison is recorded in Domesday Book, giving the surname a very early documentary footprint.
From the historical record
“TYRWHITT, V. Trewhitt. TYSON I = Tyas's Son : v. Tyas. 2 for Dyson, q.v. TYTE, V. Tite, Titus. TYTHERINGTON, v. Titherington. TYTHERLEIGH, v. Titherleigh. TYTLER (Eng.) Tatler [M.E. titeler, f. titelen, titeren, to tattle ; conn, with Low Ger. tateln, to tattle]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Tyson
- Mike Tyson (b. 1966)
- Neil deGrasse Tyson (b. 1958)
- Cicely Tyson (1924–2021)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.