Hendrickson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Hendrick,” ultimately from a form of Henry.
The #1,162 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,203 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hendrickson is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Hendrick plus the suffix -son, meaning “son of.” Hendrick is a traditional shortened or variant form of Henry, a name of Germanic origin meaning roughly “home ruler.” So the surname originally identified someone as the son or descendant of a man called Hendrick.
History
The surname appears in English and Scots naming practice, especially in areas where Hendrick was used as a personal name or local variant of Henry. The excerpted 19th-century sources treat Hendrickson as a straightforward derivative of Hendrick, alongside related forms such as Henderson and Hendry. In North America, it is now most familiar as a family name of modest frequency, with no single exclusive regional origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is built from a personal name rather than a place or trade, Hendrickson can arise independently in multiple families with no shared recent ancestor.
From the historical record
“Harvey gives Harvison. Hendrick gives Hendrickson, Hender, Henders, Henderson, Herrick, &c. Henry gives Henrys, McHenry, Harris, Harri- son ; and perhaps Hale, Haley, &c.”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)