Johnson
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Johnson Surname Genealogy
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Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare, was a dramatist and poet, best known for his satirical plays.
Samuel Johnson was the famous compiler of A Dictionary of the English Language.
Howard Johnson was the founder of Howard Johnson restaurants.
Robert Wood Johnson and his two brothers James and Edward were the founders in 1885 of the company that became Johnson & Johnson.
Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1908.
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States.
Philip Johnson was a very influential late 20th century architect.
Michael Johnson holds the fastest times in the world for the 200 and 400 meters.
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Johnson is a patronymic name meaning
"son of
John." John became popular as a first name in England, rivalling
William, in the 13th century. It was first recorded as a surname
(Jonessone) in 1287.
Select Johnson Resources on The Internet
Later, like the other "-son" surnames, the name distribution was more north than south. In the 19th century, one third of all Johnsons in England were to be found in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Scotland. Johnston or Johnstone, from "John's town" or John's settlement in Dumfries, have been the more common names in Scotland. These Johnstons - from Annandale - were (until dispersed) one of the larger Border clans. Other Johnstones have come from the town of Perth which was once called St. John's Toun.
Ireland. Johnstons or Johnsons in Ireland could be transplanted Scotsmen (mainly in Fermanagh) or anglicized names from the Gaelic Mac Sean (McShane) or Mac Eoin (McKeown). Many Scots Irish Johnstons emigrated to America.
America. The Johnsons in America outnumber the UK Johnsons by more than two to one. This is because the US has absorbed Johnsons from other countries - in particular those from Scandinavia, the Jonssons in Sweden and the Johansens and Johnsens in Norway. Thus states such as Minnesota have a high proportion of Johnsons.
Select Johnson Resources on The Internet
- History of the Johnston/Johnstone Clan. Johnston/Johnstone in Scotland.
- Johnson Family History. A Johnson forum.
Later, like the other "-son" surnames, the name distribution was more north than south. In the 19th century, one third of all Johnsons in England were to be found in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Scotland. Johnston or Johnstone, from "John's town" or John's settlement in Dumfries, have been the more common names in Scotland. These Johnstons - from Annandale - were (until dispersed) one of the larger Border clans. Other Johnstones have come from the town of Perth which was once called St. John's Toun.
| Scottish Numbers (000's) |
Johnstone |
Johnston |
Johnson |
| Pre-1854 Registers |
9.3 |
25.0 |
1.6 |
| percent |
26 |
70 |
4 |
| Post-1854 Registers |
34.5 |
68.8 |
10.1 |
| percent |
30 |
61 |
9 |
| 1841 census |
3.5 |
12.8 |
2.2 |
| percent |
19 |
59 |
12 |
| 1901 census |
13.0 |
16.9 |
2.2 |
| percent |
40 |
53 |
7 |
Ireland. Johnstons or Johnsons in Ireland could be transplanted Scotsmen (mainly in Fermanagh) or anglicized names from the Gaelic Mac Sean (McShane) or Mac Eoin (McKeown). Many Scots Irish Johnstons emigrated to America.
America. The Johnsons in America outnumber the UK Johnsons by more than two to one. This is because the US has absorbed Johnsons from other countries - in particular those from Scandinavia, the Jonssons in Sweden and the Johansens and Johnsens in Norway. Thus states such as Minnesota have a high proportion of Johnsons.
Select Johnson Names
Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare, was a dramatist and poet, best known for his satirical plays.
Samuel Johnson was the famous compiler of A Dictionary of the English Language.
Howard Johnson was the founder of Howard Johnson restaurants.
Robert Wood Johnson and his two brothers James and Edward were the founders in 1885 of the company that became Johnson & Johnson.
Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1908.
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States.
Philip Johnson was a very influential late 20th century architect.
Michael Johnson holds the fastest times in the world for the 200 and 400 meters.
Select Johnsons Today
- 215,000 in the UK (most numerous in London)
- 572,000 in America (most numerous in Texas)
- 127,000 elsewhere (most numerous in Canada)
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For other surnames check the companion selectsurname.com site where there are to be found the history and genealogy for more than 500 surnames.
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