Edson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Edson literally means "son of Addie" or "son of Addy" from the diminutive of Adam. 1 2 One source believes the name could have meant "the son of Ada or Adda (noble cheer)." 3

Early Origins of the Edson family

The surname Edson was first found in the Northern English and Scottish Borders. It is generally thought that the first record of the name was found on the English side in Yorkshire: John Addisone in 1308. Years later, Robert Addesone was also found in Yorkshire in 1498. 1

Across the border in Scotland, the name was fairly common "in the eastern counties from Linlithgow to Aberdeen." 4 In this case, Alicia relict of quondam Johannes filius Ede de Colly was granted four acres of land on the north side of the town of Colly in 1367. Three years later, William Adison was rector of Luss in 1370 and a few years after that, Gilbert filius Ade was a tenant of the Douglases in the barony of Kylboucho in 1376. 4

Early History of the Edson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edson research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1308, 1415, 1430, 1436, 1443, 1449, 1505, 1538, 1580, 1611, 1632, 1672, 1673, 1683, 1684, 1703, 1709 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Edson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edson Spelling Variations

Although the name, Edson, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Addison, Addeson, Addesoun, Adieson, Adison, Edison and many more.

Early Notables of the Edson family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John Addison (fl. 1538), English divine, a native of the diocese of York, who was admitted to a fellowship at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, in 1505. 5Joseph Addison (1672-1719), was an English essayist, poet, and statesman, son of Lancelot Addison...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edson Ranking

In the United States, the name Edson is the 6,551^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Edson family to Ireland

Some of the Edson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edson migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Edson family name Edson, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Edson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Edson, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1639 7

Edson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Edson, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 7
Alfred Edson, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1849 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Edson (post 1700) +

Katherine Philips Edson (1870-1933), American social worker and feminist
Lewis Edson (1748-1820), one of the first American composers
Gary Edson, former American government official and entrepreneur
Willis Charles “Billy” Edson (1874-1965), American football player, lawyer, and politician
Franklin Edson (1832-1904), American Mayor of New York from 1883 to 1884
Hilary Edson (b. 1965), American actress
Gus Edson (1901-1966), American cartoonist
Richard Edson (b. 1954), American actor and musician
Russell Edson (b. 1935), American poet, novelist, writer and illustrator
Margaret Edson (b. 1961), American playwright awarded the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)