Addison

Meaning

Addison began as an English patronymic surname, literally meaning “son of Adam.” The excerpt also notes that Joseph Addison helped give the name a literary presence, which later supported its use as a given name. In that sense, it carries both a family-name origin and a biblical-rooted first-name association through Adam.

Origin

Fun fact

The excerpt singles out Joseph Addison as helping to give the name “distraction in literature,” a nod to how literary figures can reshape a name’s popularity.