English Variants: Johnson, Jonson, Johnston
Within English-speaking countries, the Johnson surname itself has spawned several variants, often reflecting regional origins or individual preference.
Johnson is the standard spelling in England and America, with the h preserving the connection to the Latin Johannes even though it does not affect pronunciation. This spelling became dominant by the 16th century.
Jonson (without the h) is the most famous English variant, associated primarily with the playwright Ben Jonson (1572-1637). Jonson reportedly dropped the h deliberately to distinguish himself from the common herd of Johnsons. This spelling remains rare but occasionally appears as a given family tradition.
Johnston and Johnstone are more common in Scotland and Ireland than in England. The -ston/-stone suffix may derive from "stone" (indicating a place name element) or simply represent a regional variant of "son." Some Johnston families trace their name to places called Johnston rather than to patronymic origins. The Scottish Clan Johnstone has a distinct history in the Scottish Borders.
Johns and Jones (Welsh) represent a different grammatical construction, using the possessive form "John's" rather than adding "son." Jones became one of the most common surnames in Wales and areas of English settlement with Welsh influence.
Scandinavian Forms: Johansson, Johansen, Johanson
Scandinavian countries produced some of the most prolific Johnson variants, and Scandinavian immigration brought millions of these bearers to America.
Swedish: Johansson - The double s reflects Swedish spelling conventions. Johansson was enormously common in Sweden, where patronymic naming persisted until mandatory hereditary surnames were required in 1901. Many Swedish Johanssons who immigrated to America simplified their name to Johnson or Johanson upon arrival.
Norwegian: Johansen - Norwegian follows a similar patronymic pattern but typically uses a single s. The -sen ending is characteristic of Norwegian (and Danish) as opposed to Swedish -sson. Johansen remains common in Norway today.
Danish: Johansen or Jensen - Danish follows the Norwegian -sen pattern. Interestingly, Jensen (from Jens, a Danish diminutive of Johannes) became more common in Denmark than Johansen, making it the most frequent Danish surname.
Icelandic: Jóhannesson or Jónsson - Iceland retained the traditional patronymic system, so these names are still created fresh each generation. A man named Jón whose father was Jóhannes would be Jón Jóhannesson, while his son might be Ólafur Jónsson.
The Scandinavian forms represent the largest single source of American Johnsons outside of England. Areas of heavy Scandinavian immigration, particularly Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas, show especially high concentrations of the Johnson surname.
Dutch and German Forms: Janssen, Johannsen, Hansen
Dutch: Janssen, Jansen, Janszen - The Dutch preferred Jan to Johannes, producing patronymic surnames based on Jan. Janssen (with double s) is most common, followed by Jansen. Historical forms include Janszen and Janszoon (literally "Jan's son"). Some Dutch Janssens anglicized to Johnson upon immigrating to America, while others retained the Dutch spelling.
German: Johannsen, Johannson, Johann - German forms typically preserve more of the full Johannes. Regional variations abound: Low German (northern) forms like Johannsen resemble Scandinavian patterns, while High German (southern) forms may differ. Hansen, from the diminutive Hans, is also common in northern Germany.
Flemish: Janssens, Janssen - Flemish (Belgian Dutch) follows patterns similar to Dutch, with Janssens being one of the most common surnames in Belgium.
Frisian: Jansma, Jans - Frisian, spoken in parts of the Netherlands and Germany, developed its own variants including forms with the -ma suffix typical of Frisian surnames.
The Low German/Dutch/Flemish region represents a transitional zone where Germanic and Romance naming traditions mixed. Immigration from this area contributed to American surname diversity, with some families maintaining Dutch/German spellings and others adopting Johnson.
Slavic Variants: Ivanov, Jankowski, Jovanovic
Slavic languages developed their own versions of "son of John," based on local forms of the name John.
Russian: Ivanov (Иванов) - Ivan is the Russian form of John, making Ivanov the Russian equivalent of Johnson. Ivanov was traditionally one of the most common Russian surnames, symbolizing the ordinary Russian person much as Johnson does in English.
Polish: Jankowski, Janowski, Janik - Polish forms derive from Jan, the Polish form of John. The -owski/-ewski suffixes indicate "of" or "from," while -ik is a diminutive. Jankowski is among the most common Polish surnames.
Czech: Janák, Janek - Czech forms also derive from Jan, using characteristic Czech suffixes.
Serbian/Croatian: Jovanović, Ivanović - South Slavic languages use both Jovan and Ivan forms of John, producing patronymic surnames with the characteristic -ović suffix meaning "son of." Jovanović is one of the most common Serbian surnames.
Bulgarian: Ivanov (Иванов) - Like Russian, Bulgarian uses Ivan and produces Ivanov. It is consistently among the most common Bulgarian surnames.
Ukrainian: Ivanenko, Ivanchuk - Ukrainian forms use Ivan with suffixes like -enko (meaning "son of") and -chuk (a diminutive).
Romance Language Forms
Romance languages (descended from Latin) developed their own "son of John" surnames, though patronymic surnames are generally less common in Romance-speaking countries than in Germanic or Slavic regions.
Spanish: Ibáñez, Yáñez - These surnames derive from Iván/Juan (Spanish forms of John). The -ez suffix indicates patronymic origin. Ibáñez is more directly from Iván, while other Juan-based surnames exist.
Portuguese: Anes, Eanes - Historical Portuguese forms derived from João (John). These have become less common as surnames than in some other languages.
Italian: Giovanni, Di Giovanni, Giannini - Italian forms typically use Giovanni directly or with prefixes like Di ("of"). Giannini is a diminutive form. Italian naming traditions favored locational and occupational surnames more than patronymics.
French: Jean, Jeannot, Lejeune - French rarely formed explicit patronymic surnames like Johnson. Instead, Jean itself became a surname, or descriptive forms like Lejeune ("the young," often referring to a younger Jean) developed.
Catalan: Joan, Joana - Catalan uses Joan as the form of John, which can function as a surname as well as a given name.
Greek and Other Forms
Greek: Ioannou, Yiannakis, Giannopoulos - Greek forms derive from Ioannes (John in Greek). Ioannou is a genitive form meaning "of John," functioning similarly to a patronymic. Giannopoulos uses the -opoulos suffix common in Greek surnames, meaning "descendant of." Greek-speaking communities in America sometimes anglicized these to Johnson.
Armenian: Hovhannisyan, Hovannisian - Armenian uses Hovhannes as the form of John, with the -yan suffix indicating descent. This is one of the most common Armenian surnames.
Georgian: Ivanishvili - Georgian uses the -shvili suffix (meaning "child of") with Ivan to create patronymics.
Finnish: Juhani, Juhaninen - Finnish forms of John include Juhani and Johannes. Finnish surnames ending in -nen can indicate patronymic origin.
Hungarian: János, Jánosi - Hungarian uses János as the form of John. Jánosi and similar forms indicate "son of János."
Hebrew: Ben-Yochanan - In Hebrew, the original source language, Ben- means "son of." Ben-Yochanan would be a direct equivalent, though Hebrew naming traditions developed differently than European ones.
Anglicization Patterns in America
When immigrants bearing these various John-son surnames arrived in America, many anglicized their names to Johnson. This process occurred for several reasons: ease of pronunciation by English speakers, desire to assimilate, clerical simplification, or simply the assumption that similar names should match.
Scandinavian to Johnson: Swedish Johansson and Norwegian Johansen were the most commonly anglicized forms. The similarity in sound made Johnson a natural choice. Many families made this change upon arrival or within a generation of settlement.
Dutch/German patterns: Janssen and Johannsen sometimes became Johnson, though these transitions were less automatic than with Scandinavian names. Some families retained their original spellings, producing the diversity of Dutch and German surnames still visible in American records.
Slavic and other forms: Ivanov, Jovanovic, and similar surnames were less commonly changed to Johnson because the sound difference was greater. However, some families did make this shift, particularly if they wished to minimize their ethnic distinctiveness.
The result is that modern American Johnsons descend from remarkably diverse origins. A DNA test or genealogical research might reveal English, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Dutch, or other ancestry behind what appears to be a straightforwardly English surname. The Johnson name became a melting pot in miniature, uniting descendants of many European naming traditions under a single American form.