Ericson
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Eric."
The #5,762 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,338 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ericson is a patronymic surname built from the given name Eric plus the suffix -son, meaning "son of." The personal name Eric comes from Old Norse Eiríkr, usually explained as meaning "ever-ruler" or "sole ruler." In English-speaking countries the surname often reflects Scandinavian naming traditions that were later fixed as hereditary family names.
History
The surname is especially associated with Scandinavian immigrants and their descendants, where -son surnames were common before hereditary surnames became standard. In North America, Ericson appears alongside the related spelling Erikson, both preserved by families of Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish background. It is less common than the spelling Erikson, but the two forms are often genealogically connected.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling Ericsson is famous from the Swedish inventor John Ericsson, while Ericson and Erikson are simpler Anglicized forms of the same name family.