Jenson
A surname usually understood as meaning “son of John,” though some early sources noted it as a form tied to Jan or Johannes as well.
The #4,461 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,807 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Jenson is a patronymic surname built on a personal name, most likely John/Jan/Johannes. In English surname tradition, Lower treats it as equivalent to “see John,” while other 19th-century writers connect it with continental forms such as Jan or Johannes. The literal sense is therefore “son of John” or, more broadly, “descendant of Jan/John.”
History
The name appears in English and northern European surname traditions, with spelling forms varying by region and language. Nicholas Jenson, the celebrated 15th-century Venetian printer, is one well-known historical bearer of the name. In modern English-speaking countries, Jenson is less common than Jensen, but it is the same general patronymic pattern.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nicholas Jenson, named in the historical record, was one of the great early printers of Venice and helped shape the look of Roman type.
From the historical record
“JENOURE. The same as Jenner. JENSON. See John. JEPHSON. From Geoffrey or Jeffery. JEPSON. See Jeffery. JERDAN. JERDEIN. See Gardyne. JEREMY. The O. Eng. form of Jere- miah. JERKIN. A diminutive of Jeremiah.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom