This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' originally pronounced and spelt Jone; v. Jones. It will be well to give a fairly large number of instances.

Robert Johns, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Johannes Webster, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Willelmus Joneson, 1379: ibid.

Willelmus Johnson, 1379: ibid.

Robertus Johanson, ibid.

Juliana Jonesson, 1379: ibid.

Ricardus Joneson, 1379: ibid.

Robertas Jonson, 1379: ibid.

Lewis Johns, prebendary of St. David's, 1486: History and Ant. St. David's.

The following represents one of the earliest Puritan Christian names:

1583. Baptised — Evan, s. Evangeliste Johnson: St. Michael, Cornhill.

1600. Lewis Johnes, Monmouthshire: Register of the University of Oxford.

— William Johnes, Montgomeryshire: ibid.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' a Welsh surname. John was never an English surname. Johnson monopolized the honours.

Edward ap-John, archdeacon, County of Caermarthen, 1509: History and Ant. St. David's.

Robert ap-Edward John, of Bangor, 1599: Wills at Chester.

William ap-Thomas John, of Pulford, 1606: ibid.

Edward ap-John, of Hanmer, laborer, 1584: ibid.

1666. Married — Robert Rait and Charity John: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1751. — Thomas John and Joanna Russell: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

From Heb. Jehohhan through Greek Ioannes, Latin Ioannes, is in Gaelic lain.

son of John,' which see. Wautier Jonessone of Berwickshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 207), and William Jonessone, merchant of Aberdeen, complained that his goods shipped in a Flemish vessel had been arrested at Grymesby in 1368 (ibid., IV, 146). John Johnson (filz Johan), a Scot going abroad, had protection through England in 1371, Adam Jonesson, a Scots prisoner of war, was discharged from Newgate prison in 1375, Richard Johanson, servant of the duke of Albany had safe conduct into England in 1401, and Johan Joneson the same in 1422 (ibid., 195,227, 584,914). Malcolm Jonis was one of the prominent men of Orkney in 1427 (Oppressions p. 108), and William Johannis (the Latin genitive) witnessed a Montrose charter of 1430 (REB., II, 34). The garden of Paulus Johannis in Glasgow is referred to in 1454 (LCD., p. 176), Alexander Johnson of Aberdeen received letters of denisation in England, 1480 (Bain, IV, 1465), Sir Nicholays Johannis, perpetual chaplain of the altar of Holy Cross, Brechin, 1493, appears in the same document as Sir Nicholas Johnson (REB., II. 137), and Thomas Jonsoun was burgess of Ayr in 1503 (Friars Ayr, p. 70). Some Macians, which see, have Englished their name Johnson. The northern (Caithness) Johnsons are descended from John, third son of George Gunn, the Crowner. Johnnesson 1424, Johnnessone 1530, Johnseun 1565, Jonson 1422, Jonsone 1510.

This baptismal name, which is of Norman introduction, has rarely passed into a surname. The Lond. Direct, for 1852 affords but one instance. It has been, however, the source, in various modified forms, of a considerable number of names, some of which are amongst the most common in the whole circle of our nomenclature. Its immediate derivative, Johnson, and its Welsh genitive form, Jones, substantiate this assertion; but we have besides Johns, Johnes, Joanes, Johncock, Janson, Jannings, Jennings, Jenks, Jenkyn, Jenkins, and Jinkins, Jenkinson, and perhaps Janes and Jenson. The Flemish nickname Hans from Johannes, seems to be the root of Hanson, Hancock, &c. Jack and Jackson might seem to claim the same parentage, but I think there is more reason for affiliating them upon James (See Jack).

See John. The Johnsons of Ayscough-Fee, co. Lincoln, claim from the house of Fitz-John of Normandy. Guillim's Display of Heraldry.

(Hebrew.) Gracious; God's grace.

The son of John.

Johnson. —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. It is suggested by Lower that this name has often been confounded with the Scottish name of Johnston or Johnstone, which is very common south of the Forth and the Clyde, especially in the border counties of Dumfries and Berwick. This suggestion is probably correct; for, bearing in mind the very extensive interchange of names that has occurred between the two countries, it would otherwise be difficult to explain why the Scottish Johnstons and the English Johnsons should meet abruptly at the border in such numbers. It is evident, therefore, that in the majority of cases Johnston is the Scottish form of Johnson, though a few may have taken the name from parishes in Dumfriesshire, etc.

The surname Johnson has two main subdivisions-one with, and one without, the intrusive ‘t’ (as in Johnstone). Both of these subdivisions have a wide variety of different spellings. The former often means ‘son of John’, while those variations with the ‘t’ often refer to places-‘tons’ named after John, notably in Scotland. In practice (and often in spelling) it is easy to see how the ‘t’ got lost in pronouncing the name.

The first name John derives from the Ancient Hebrew name Jochanaan, meaning ‘God is gracious’. In its Latin form the name Johannes came west with the returning Crusaders, and during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries it spread all over Europe. Doubtless it was assisted by the popularity of St John the Baptist and St John the Divine (author of the Book of Revelations).

As the name Johannes crossed national and linguistic borders, it became changed into many local variants. In Germany it became Hans, in Holland Jan, in France Jean, in Ireland Sean (pronounced Shawn), and in Scotland Jock.

Early reference to Johnsons began appearing in the English records around the thirteenth century. One John Jonessone appears in the Ancient Deeds for Surrey in 1287. Variations with the intrusive middle ‘t’ appeared early on to denote ‘John from the place (‘ton’ or ‘tun’)’. One Alan de Johannestun appears in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1227. The variations with the intrusive ‘t’ are more common in the north of England and in Scotland.

In some rare cases the name Johnstone may be a local name deriving from places in Staffordshire and Dumfriesshire (the second syllable in this case being Old English). It is also just possible that this name is a local name for a man from Perth which used to be called St Johnstone (as its football team still is).

The name Johnson is related to the surname Evans (which also means, literally, ‘the dependant of John’-see Evans) and also in this way to many widely differing names-from Jackson to Jones. Jack, like Jenkin, Hankin and Hancock, was a common pet form of John.

Andrew Johnson (1808—75) was the seventeenth President of the United States. He purchased Alaska from the Russians for just $7,200,000 in 1867.

The three founders of the firm of Rolls-Royce were the Hon. C.S. Rolls, Mr F. Henry Royce and Mr Claude Johnson. Having at first contemplated calling the car the Rolls-Royce- Johnson, they decided that it somehow lacked zip and the name Johnson was dropped.

The 1889 flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, ranks amongst the world’s all-time disasters. When the South Fork Dam broke after excessive rain, the 450-acre lake vanished in under 40 minutes as a 70-foot-high wall of water roared through the town at over 15 miles per hour. One in 10 of the citizens (well over 2,000 people) was killed and the town was virtually levelled. Johnstown was rebuilt, but in 1977 a freak storm deposited 9 inches of rain in 8 hours and the Laurel Run dam broke, releasing over 100 million gallons of water with the resultant deaths of 77 people, totally destroyed over 500 houses and caused over $200 million in damage.

Famed aviatrix Amy Johnson (1903—41) captured the imagination of the nation with her record-breaking solo flight to Australia in 1930-so much so that the song ‘Wonderful Amy, How Can You Blame Me for Loving You?’ was the smash hit of the year.

Samuel Johnson (1709—84) took a mere eight years (1747— 55) to write his famous dictionary of the English language.

The United Kingdom has towns named Johnston, Johnstone and Johnstone Bridge, Canada has a Johnsen’s Crossing and a Johnstown, New Zealand has a Johnsonville, and there are also Johnstowns in the United States (4) and Ireland (2). There is a Johnson Island off the coast of Chile, a Johnson’s Point in Antigua, and a Johnson mountain range as well as a group of lakes in Australia.

With about 231,000 namesakes Johnson is the 10th most popular surname in England and Wales. There are over 29,000 Johnstons in Scotland where the name is 12th in popularity. In Ireland it is estimated that, with about 16,000 Johnsons, it is the 33rd most popular surname. Johnson is notably popular in and around Teesside where an estimated one in about 160 families bears the name; it is also popular in Edinburgh (one in 195). Around the world Johnsons and Johnstons are most common in Vancouver (one in 183 families), Sydney (one in 224) and Canberra (one in 228). The United States has more Johnsons and Johnstons than the entire population of Clydeside-an estimated total of just over 2,053,000 makes this their 2nd most popular surname.