English surname
Son of John
Patronymic surname (from a father's name)
Johnson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of John'. John itself derives from the Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious', and became one of the most popular given names in medieval England after the Norman Conquest. Patronymics formed with '-son' were especially common in northern England and the Scottish Lowlands.
The surname became hereditary in the later Middle Ages and is now one of the most frequent names in the English-speaking world. Variants include Johnston (particularly in Scotland) and Johns. Its high frequency is a direct result of the popularity of the given name John.
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Son of John. One of the most common English surnames, from the given name John plus "-son".
Johnson is a English-origin surname. Popularity varies widely by country and region, and the same surname can be common in one place and rare in another.
Yes. Surnames, especially occupational and descriptive ones like this, were often adopted independently by many unrelated families who happened to share a trade, appearance, or location.
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