Wasson

WASS-ən

A surname that is likely a variant spelling of a place-based or nickname surname built on an older personal name or word stem beginning with Wass-.

The #4,182 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,447 Americans shares it.

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Etymology

The surname Wasson is probably a later spelling or variant form rather than a very transparent original surname shape. The old sources provided do not give a firm derivation, but they place Wasson among English/Scottish surnames and suggest it may belong to a wider family of names built on Wass-, such as names ultimately related to personal names, nicknames, or local forms. Because the evidence here is indirect, the safest conclusion is that its precise root is uncertain without stronger documentary proof.

History

The name appears in 19th-century surname lists and was noted in Scotland by Matheson, who associated it with Antrim in his material, suggesting some Irish or Ulster presence in addition to British usage. In the United States it is an established but relatively uncommon surname, consistent with a name that spread through migration from the British Isles. The spelling with -son may reflect later standardization of an older local or patronymic form.

Origin

uncertainEnglishScottish

Regions

ScotlandEnglandAntrimNorthern IrelandUnited States

Variant spellings

WasonWassinWassom

Fun fact

A 19th-century surname list places Wasson alongside several other old English-looking names, showing that it was already recognized as an established family surname by that time.

From the historical record

“All in Antrim. ♦Wasson (S) 8 8”

— Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution)

Related surnames

Confidence: mixed. Sources: Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution), Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.).

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