Christenson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Christen,” ultimately from the Christian personal name.
The #3,346 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,836 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Christenson is a patronymic surname built from the given name Christen, with the Scandinavian/English -son suffix meaning “son of.” The personal name Christen is a regional form of Christian, from Latin Christianus, meaning “a Christian” or “follower of Christ.” In that sense, the surname originally identified someone as the son of a man named Christen/Christian.
History
The surname is especially familiar in areas influenced by Scandinavian naming traditions, where -son surnames are common. In English-speaking countries it was also reinforced by the popularity of Christian as a first name. Different spellings such as Christenson and Christensen often arose from local language habits and later record-keeping practices.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Christenson and Christensen are close cousins: the difference is often just the spelling convention of the language or family branch rather than a different original meaning.