Sanderson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Sander,” with Sander itself a short form of Alexander.
The #1,462 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,662 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sanderson is a patronymic surname formed from Sander, a medieval short form of Alexander, plus -son meaning “son of.” In other words, the name originally meant “Sander’s son” or “son of Alexander.” The element Sander is part of a wider family of shortened forms that also produced Sanders and Saunders.
History
Historical surname dictionaries place Sanderson alongside Sanders and Saunderson as a straightforward patronymic. It is especially associated with English usage, though it is also found in Scotland and in later Irish records through migration and adoption of English-language naming forms. The surname has remained fairly stable in spelling, with Sandison sometimes treated as a related variant in Scots usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same medieval pet form Sander also gave rise to the very common surname Sanders, so Sanderson and Sanders are close cousins on the family-tree level.
From the historical record
“SANDERS, Sander's (Son) \ SANDERSON, Sander's Son J *• Cp. Saunders, Saunderson. SANDFORD (Eng.) Bel. to Sandford; or Dweller at the Sandy Ford [O.E. sand, sand +fori\ ' On sandford.' —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)