Show ContentsDanson Surname History

The Danson surname is generally thought to have been a nickname derived from "son of Dan" 1 2 or "son of Daniel." 3

Early Origins of the Danson family

The surname Danson was first found in Cumberland (now Cumbria.) "For several centuries Danson has been a familiar South Cumberland and Furness surname. It is found in the neighbourhood of Millom." 3

In the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland, we found Robert Dandeson who was listed there in 1332. A few years later, John Dandesone was listed in the Register of Freemen in York in 1363 and Robert Danson was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1381. 2

Early History of the Danson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Danson research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1662, 1679, 1692, 1694 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Danson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Danson Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Danison, Danisone, Dansone, Danson and others.

Early Notables of the Danson family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Thomas Danson (d. 1694), English nonconformist divine, born in the parish of St...


United States Danson migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Danson or a variant listed above:

Danson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Barbara Danson, who arrived in North Carolina in 1726 4

Canada Danson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Danson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Walter Danson, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Silestria" from Belfast, Ireland

Australia Danson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Danson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • George Danson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 5
  • Elizabeth Danson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 5
  • Mr. Matthew Danson who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 19th March 1857, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Danson (post 1700) +

  • Edward Bridge "Ted" Danson III (b. 1947), American actor notable for his television work, and specifically, for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers
  • Thomas E. Danson Jr., American Republican politician, Member of Florida State House of Representatives 73rd District; Elected 1978 7
  • Barnett Jerome Danson (b. 1921), Canadian Businessman and Politician, Liberal Member of Parliament for York-North, President, Danson Corp. Ltd
  • Mr. Gordon Danson Oates B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Fleetwood, Lancashire

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Richard Danson, English Assistant Pantry Steward from Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in a raft 8
SS Caribou
  • Mr. John Danson, Newfoundland passenger from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Lysander.htm
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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