Wilson (name)
Name
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilson is a British and Irish surname, common in the English-speaking world, with several distinct origins. The name is derived from a patronymic form of Will, a popular medieval name. The medieval Will is derived from any of several names containing Old Norse or the first Germanic element wil, meaning “will” or "desire".[1][2]
The surname Wilson is first recorded in England as Willeson in 1324[3] and in Scotland as Wulson in 1405.[4]
It is the seventh most common surname in England,[5] and tenth most common in the United States,[6] occurring 783,051 times as of 2000.[7]
Wilson is the third most common surname in Scotland.[8]
Wilson can also be a given name.
See also
- Willson, a variant of the surname
- Williamson, another variant of the surname
- Williams, a surname that also means "son of William"
- List of people with surname Wilson
- List of people with given name Wilson