Given name & surname
Johnson
“the son of John”
Johnson is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “the son of John.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “the son of John.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Johnson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to John.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Johnson through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,043
- 7,021 boys · 22 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 111 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #3,406 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,406 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 111 in 2000. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,851 as a first name in 2020; 1,858,234 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Johnson’s family of names
In English usage, Johnson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to John. Johnson has a related form in Johnstun. Johnson has a related form in Johnsun.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Johnson has relatives in 18 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 36
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Johnsource name
- JensenDanish
- Jansendoublet · English
- Hansendoublet · English
- Johansencognate · Norwegian Bokmål, Danish
- Іваноўequivalent
- Івановаequivalent
- Івановequivalent
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- MacIainequivalent
- Hovhannisyanequivalent
- Джонсонborrowing · Russian
- Jhovinsonborrowing · Spanish
- Johanssoncognate · Swedish, English
- ՀովհաննիսյանArmenian
- IonescuRomanian
- JonavičiusLithuanian
- ИвановскиMacedonian
- ЈовановMacedonian
- ΓιαννόπουλοςGreek
- ΙωάννουGreek
- ЈованоскиMacedonian
- JovanovićSerbo-Croatian
- IovănescuRomanian
- GjonajAlbanian
- ИвановBulgarian, Macedonian
- JanowiczPolish
- ივანიშვილიGeorgian
- Di GiovanniItalian
- JuánezSpanish
- ЏонсонMacedonian
- ΤζόνσονGreek
- ΙωαννίδηςGreek
- ЈовановскиMacedonian
- ИваноскиMacedonian
- IvanovićSerbo-Croatian
- JanssonSwedish
People named Johnson
- Johnson Aguiyi-IronsiNigerian Military Leader (1924-1966)
- Johnson ToribiongPalauan politician and diplomat, president from 2009 to 2013born 1946
- Johnson N. CamdenAmerican politician (1828-1908)
- Johnson BeharryBritish Army officerborn 1979
- Johnson HagoodConfederate Army general and Governor of South Carolina (1829–1898)
- Johnson N. Camden Jr.American politician (1865–1942)
- Johnson Kwaku AduGhanaian politicianborn 1969
- Johnson Parker-SmithOlympic lacrosse player of Great Britain (1882–1926)
- Johnson K. DuncanConfederate General, former United States Army officer1827–1862
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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