Solomon
A surname from the biblical given name Solomon, meaning “peaceful” or “peaceable.”
The #745 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,635 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Solomon comes from the biblical personal name, passed into English through Greek and Latin forms. The Hebrew root is related to shalom, “peace,” so the name is usually explained as meaning “peaceful” or “peaceable.” As a surname, it was often adopted from the Christian given name and, in some families, also from Jewish usage of the biblical name.
History
English surname use is largely a patronymic or inherited form taken from the popular medieval forename Solomon, with related spellings such as Salomon and Salmon. Nineteenth-century surname writers also note Jewish families using Solomon and its variants as hereditary surnames, especially in urban settings. The name is widespread in English-speaking countries today and appears both among Christian and Jewish families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Victorian surname books often treated Salmon as a historical spelling of Solomon, especially in medieval English records.
From the historical record
“ISiloMAN}^- Solomon. q.v. SOLOMON (Heb.) Peaceful, Peaceable [Vulgate Salomon, Gr. ZaKia/iiiv, Heb. Sh'ldmdh, f. shdldm, peace] When Solomon was born, David was a man whose strength had been exhausted in warfare and who was keenly sensible of the blessings of peace both for a king and a kingdom. Hence it was…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)