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| Origins Available: |
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The ancestors of the Filson family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the ancient given name Phillip. Phillip derives from the Greek name Phillipos, which derives from the words philein, meaning to love, and hippos, meaning horse.
The surname Filson was first found in Berwickshire. However some of the family were also found in the parish of Windermere in Westmorland. "The church [of Windermere], situated at Bowness, is a simple and venerable edifice, of which the east window of stained glass is said to have been brought from Furness Abbey: there are several curious memorials of the Philipson family, once the owners of Rayrigg, Calgarth, and the Island; and among the monuments of modern date." 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Filson research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1305 and 1450 are included under the topic Early Filson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Phillipson, Phillippson, Philippson, Philipson and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Filson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Filson is the 15,842nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Filson or a variant listed above: