Jonson History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of JonsonWhat does the name Jonson mean? The name Jonson reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Jonson family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jonson is based on the given name John and the name literally means "son of John." 1 The given name John is derived from the Hebrew name Johanan, which means Jehovah has favored. The name was extremely popular in the Middle Ages as a result of the numerous connections between the name John and the Christian Church. "With the exception of the south - western counties, where it is absent or conspicuously rare, this name is distributed all over England, but in much less numbers in the south than in the midlands and in the north. The counties most conspicuous for the number of Johnsons are Cambridge, Cheshire, Derby, Durham, Lancashire, Leicester and Rutland, Lincoln, Norfolk, Northumberland, Notts, Stafford, Warwick, and York." 2 Johnson is the 10th most popular surname in England and Wales. Early Origins of the Jonson familyThe surname Jonson was first found in Lincolnshire, where many of the ancient and leading houses of the family name claim descent originally from the house of FitzJohn in Normandy, particularly that of one of the leading branches and oldest, the Johnsons of Ayscough-Fee. 3 Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list many of the name: Willelmus Joneson; Willelmus Johnson, 1379; Robertus Johanson; Juliana Jonesson; Ricardus Joneson; and Robertas Jonson. 1 Early History of the Jonson familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jonson research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1375, 1503, 1572, 1629, 1637, 1644, 1659, 1675, 1680, 1682, 1688, 1689, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1735, 1775, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jonson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Jonson Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Jonson are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Jonson include Johnson, Joneson, Jonson, Joynson and others. Early Notables of the Jonson familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was
Jonson RankingIn the United States, the name Jonson is the 12,198th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 Migration of the Jonson family to IrelandSome of the Jonson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Jonson, or a variant listed above: Jonson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Jonson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Jonson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
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