Hutson
A surname that usually developed as a spelling of Hudson, with the d softened or dropped in pronunciation.
The #2,304 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,498 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hutson is generally treated as a variant of Hudson, meaning 'son of Hud.' Hud was a short medieval form of names such as Hugh, though some sources also note spellings influenced by sound change, where the d in Hudson was replaced by t. In a few cases, the name may also have been influenced by local place-name or byname spellings, but the patronymic explanation is the usual one.
History
19th- and early-20th-century surname writers often listed Hutson alongside Hudson and related forms like Hutt and Hutton, treating it as a pronunciation-based variant. The form appears in Britain and later in English-speaking countries such as the United States. In modern records it is much less common than Hudson, but it has persisted as an established surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
George F. Black and other surname scholars noted that similar changes from d to t can happen in speech, which helps explain how Hudson could become Hutson.
From the historical record
“a parish in Yorkshii-e. HUTSON. As Hudson. HUTT. From residence in a hut — ana- logous to Cote. IIUTTON. Twenty-six parishes and townships in different counties bear this name. HUXHAM. A jjlace in Devonsliire. HUXLEY. A township in Cheshire.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom