Robson
A classic patronymic surname meaning “son of Rob,” with Rob being a short form of Robert.
The #4,368 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,943 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Robson is an English patronymic formed from the pet name Rob plus the son suffix, so its basic sense is “Rob’s son.” Rob is a familiar short form of Robert, a name ultimately from Germanic roots meaning “bright fame.” The surname therefore belongs to the large family of English surnames built from Robert, alongside forms such as Hobson, Dobson, Robertson, and Robbins.
History
The name is especially well established in northern England, where patronymic surnames of this type were common. Historical surname dictionaries also note variant spellings such as Robeson and Ropson, and treat Robson as a straightforward offshoot of Robert rather than a separate name. In modern times it has remained a stable English surname and is also found in Scotland and across the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley grouped Robson with Hobson and Dobson as one of the classic English “son of a nickname” surnames.
From the historical record
“saritum, to hoe, weed] ROBSON, Rob's Son : v. Rob. ROBY (Scand.) Bel. to Roby = i RA's or the Roe Stead [O.N. rd, a roe + hy-r\ 2 the Farm in the Nook or Corner [O.N. ti)rd, a nook, corner -t- by-r] The Lancashire Roby was Rabi in the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)