Edison
Likely a patronymic surname meaning “son of Ede” or “son of Ed,” with Ed- names often tied to Edith, Eda, or Edward.
The #8,250 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,898 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Edison is generally treated as a patronymic formed from the personal name Ed or Ede, plus the possessive/patronymic ending -son. In older English usage, Ed- names could point to Edith or Eda, though some forms were also linked to Edward and other Old English names beginning with Ed-. The literal sense is therefore “son of Ed/Ede,” rather than a surname with a separate occupational or locational meaning.
History
19th- and early-20th-century surname writers usually grouped Edison with a larger family of Ed- names such as Ede, Eddis, Edkins, and Eady. The name appears in English records at least by the 18th century in the excerpted examples, and it has remained relatively uncommon compared with more widespread patronymics like Edwards or Edmonds. The best-known modern bearer is the inventor Thomas Edison, whose fame helped make the surname instantly recognizable.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surname writers noted that Edison was essentially the same as Edson, just with a fuller or more euphonious spelling.
From the historical record
“of £de.' Par fuller statement and stances of Edison, v. Eddie. 1744. Mnrried — ThDmu Bddii and Cheny Odell : St. Jis. Clerkenwell, iii. .,,1. — AmbroK Ckrk and Elii.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances