Helgeson
A Scandinavian-style patronymic surname meaning “son of Helge.”
The #9,212 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 87,290 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Helgeson is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Helge plus the patronymic ending -son, meaning “son of Helge.” The given name Helge goes back to Old Norse Heilagr, meaning “holy” or “sacred,” though in later Scandinavian use it became a normal personal name. The surname therefore originally identified a man as the son of someone named Helge.
History
This type of surname is especially associated with Norway and Sweden, where hereditary surnames were adopted later than in much of western Europe. In North America, Helgeson is found largely among descendants of Scandinavian immigrants, especially in the Upper Midwest. As with many patronymics, it eventually became a fixed family name rather than a changing generation-by-generation description.
Origin
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Fun fact
The first element in Helge is related to the same old Germanic idea of holiness that appears in words like “hallow.”