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Origins of the Johnson surname

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What does the name Johnson mean?

The Johnson surname is primarly English and Scottish, and has a patronymic origin. It's the 154th most common around the world, and the second most common name in the United States. In the most basic form the surname Johnson is given to 'son of John/Johannes', which means that variants are prevalent everywhere that these forenames are found (e.g. in Scandinavia, as 'Janssen/Jonsson'), particularly in the Christian world.

Alternative variations of the name Johnson

Johnson, Joneson, Joynson, Jonson, Johnsons

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Where do most Johnsons live?

In 1921, most Johnsons lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Johnsons

How common is your surname?

8th most common surname in the UK

We have 1,070,000 records for the Johnson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Johnsons most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Johnsons.

What are the most common Johnson first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Johnson family members

Common jobs for Johnsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Johnsons in 1921
Dressmaker

4,436

Laundress

2,608

Domestic Servant

2,502

General Servant Domestic

2,356

House Servant

1,920

Common Male occupations for Johnsons in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

4,506

Coal Miner

4,422

Farm Hands

4,367

General Labourer

4,253

Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

3,496

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 1,400,000 family trees with the Johnson surname

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