The suffix meaning "son," creates several different variations of the JOHNSON surname. Examples: English son, Norwegian sen, German sohn, and Swedish sson. JONES is the common Welsh version of this surname. The JOHNSON surname may also be an Anglicisation of the Gaelic surname MacSeain or MacShane.
- Andrew Johnson - America's 17th President
- Lyndon B. Johnson - America's 36th President
- Caryn Elaine Johnson - AKA Whoopie Goldberg, African American Actress
- Shawn Johnson - 2008 Olympics gymnastics gold medalist
Search Strategies for Common Last Names
Use these strategies for locating ancestors with common names like Johnson to help you research your JOHNSON ancestors online.
100 Most Common U.S. Surnames & Their Meanings
Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?
Johnson Johnston Johnstone Surname DNA Project
Johnsons around the world are having their DNA tested in order to learn more about their family origins, and connections to other Johnson and Johnston families.
History of the Johnston/Johnstone Clan
There were a number of "John's towns" in Scotland but the earliest record of the surname is a John Johnstone at the end of the 12th century.
FamilySearch - JOHNSON Genealogy
Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Johnson surname.
Johnson Family Genealogy Forum
Search this forum for the Johnson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Johnson query. There's also a separate forum for the JOHNSTON surname.
Cousin Connect - JOHNSON Genealogy Queries
Read or post genealogy queries for the surname Johnson, and sign up for free notification when new Johnson queries are added.
DistantCousin.com - JOHNSON Genealogy & Family History
Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Johnson.
-- Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings
-- Can't find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings & Origins.
Find a Surname:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
-----------------------
References: Surname Meanings & Origins
Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.
Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.
Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.
>> Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings & Origins
