Clan Rising

Johnson

Son of John — the most-Anglo-Saxon-sounding Norman name in the English census.

Territory of Johnson

CoreHistoric reach

The seat of Johnson

Seat vacant

Chief

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Current mission

No mission proclaimed. The chief, once seated, sets the clan’s public focus — a campaign, a contest, a piece of restoration, a year of remembrance.

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What does the Johnson name mean?

Patronymic — son of John (Norman-Latin Johannes, naturalised as English John). The base name John was the most popular boys' name in mediaeval England from the Conquest onwards, so the patronymic Johnson took root anywhere John was a common first name in the 14th–15th-century surname-fixation era. Johnson is in the top-10 surnames of every English-speaking country except Wales, where the patronymic 's' goes to Jones instead.

The history of Johnson

Johnson is among the half-dozen commonest surnames in modern England and the United States, a distribution that follows directly from the dominance of John as a mediaeval Christian first name. The surname fixed across the southern shires and the East Midlands in the 14th–15th centuries and travelled with English settlement everywhere afterwards — into the Plantation of Ulster, the New England colonies, and the 19th-century industrial cities of the north.

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), the Lichfield, Staffordshire-born lexicographer, compiled A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) — the most consequential single dictionary in English-language history before the Oxford English Dictionary; his biographer James Boswell created the modern biographical genre with the Life of Samuel Johnson (1791). Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973), 36th President of the United States, oversaw the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Voting Rights Act (1965) and Medicare. Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) was the 17th President. Boris Johnson (b. 1964) was the British Prime Minister 2019–2022.

Notable bearers of the Johnson name

  • Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) — lexicographer, Dictionary of the English Language
  • Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) — 36th President of the United States
  • Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) — 17th President of the United States
  • Boris Johnson (b. 1964) — British Prime Minister 2019–2022

Frequently asked

What does the surname Johnson mean?

Patronymic — son of John (Norman-Latin Johannes, naturalised as English John). The base name John was the most popular boys' name in mediaeval England from the Conquest onwards, so the patronymic Johnson took root anywhere John was a common first name in the 14th–15th-century surname-fixation era. Johnson is in the top-10 surnames of every English-speaking country except Wales, where the patronymic 's' goes to Jones instead.

Where does the Johnson family come from?

The Johnson family was historically based in London and Yorkshire & the Humber in England, in particular London and South Yorkshire.

Who are some famous Johnsons?

Notable bearers of the Johnson name include Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) — lexicographer, Dictionary of the English Language, Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) — 36th President of the United States, Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) — 17th President of the United States and Boris Johnson (b. 1964) — British Prime Minister 2019–2022.

Neighbouring clans