Wolfson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Wolf,” ultimately from the old Germanic personal name Wolf.
The #8,768 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,552 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wolfson is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Wolf plus -son, literally meaning “son of Wolf.” The name Wolf itself goes back to the old Germanic word for the animal, used both as a byname and as a given name. In English and related traditions, it could arise independently wherever a man named Wolf had descendants who adopted his name as a family surname.
History
The surname appears in English surname collections as a straightforward patronymic and is also common in Jewish naming traditions, especially in Ashkenazi families where Germanic and Yiddish forms were widely used. It is found in Britain and North America, with spelling and family origins varying by region and migration history. The form is transparent enough that it was usually understood as “Wolf’s son” rather than needing much explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because “wolf” was a respected old personal name, surnames like Wolfson often began as a compliment as much as a literal animal reference.
From the historical record
“2 for Walford, q.v. WOLFSON, Wolf's Son : v. Wolf. WOLGAR 1 (Eng.) for the A.-Sax. pers. name WOLGERJ H>M//^rf;- = Wolf-Spear [O.E. wulf + gar, a spear] WOLLASTON (Eng.) Bel. to Wollaston or Wool(l)aston (several) = i Wulflaf's Farm or Estate [the A.-Sax. pers. name (in the genit., Wulfldfes) is a compound of”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)