Knutson
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Knut.”
The #2,145 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,258 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Knutson is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Knut, a Scandinavian form of Old Norse Knútr, meaning “knot.” The suffix -son means “son of,” so the full sense is “son of Knut.” In practice, the name was formed in Scandinavia and later fixed as a hereditary surname in North America and elsewhere.
History
The personal name Knut was widely used in medieval Scandinavia, helped by royal and noble bearers. As Scandinavian naming systems shifted from changing patronymics to inherited surnames, forms like Knutson became permanent family names. The surname is especially associated with people of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish descent in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Knut is the source of the modern English nickname Cnut, as in King Canute.