Glisson
An English surname that likely began as a patronymic or variant form of a medieval personal name such as Giles or Gillison.
The #7,607 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,651 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Glisson is most likely an English surname that developed from a personal name rather than from a place or occupation. It may be a variant of Giles-based forms, with the ultimate root in Greek via the medieval name Giles, or it may reflect an altered form of an older patronymic such as Gillison. The spelling is not standard enough for absolute certainty, so the name is best treated as a surname of uncertain but probably patronymic origin.
History
The surname is not especially common, and the historical record appears sparse enough that early modern and later genealogists did not settle its derivation with confidence. A notable bearer was the 17th-century physician Francis Glisson, which helps show the name in England by that period. Modern U.S. usage is relatively rare, consistent with an English surname that remained limited in spread.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The best-known historical bearer, Francis Glisson, was a major English anatomist and physician, which is why the name sometimes appears in medical history.
From the historical record
“the back-bone." Aubrey's Nat. Hist, of Wilts, 4to., p. 74. Dr. Johnson says the uame was given by Dr. Glisson on the first appearance of the disease. Dr. Glisson was contemporary with, and probably known to, Mr. Ricketts, and therefore Aubrey's statement may be correct. He is most likely right, too, as to Ricketts…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom