patronyms

A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name derived from the given name of a father or paternal ancestor, used to indicate lineage. In many cultures, a patronymic appears alongside a family surname or serves as a surname itself. The practice historically helped identify a person’s paternal lineage.

The term patronym comes from Greek patēr, meaning father, and onoma, meaning name. Across languages, patronymics appear as suffixes, prefixes, or independent forms. In English and many Germanic languages, surnames such as Johnson, Wilson, and Andersen signify “son of John,” “son of William,” and “son of Anders.” In Scandinavian languages, -son or -sen is common; in Slavic languages, forms like Ivanovich or Petrovich attach to the father’s name; in Gaelic and Celtic languages, prefixes like Mac or Mc mean "son of."

Variations exist in contemporary practice. Iceland traditionally uses patronymics rather than inherited family surnames, so a child’s surname changes each generation (Karlsson, Karlsdóttir). In Russian and other Slavic cultures, a patronymic is a fixed middle name based on the father’s name (e.g., Ivan Petrovich Petrov). Arabic names use ibn or bin to indicate “son of,” and Hebrew uses ben or bat. Some cultures also employ matronymics, formed from the mother’s name.

Modern usage ranges from fixed surnames with historical patronymic origins to formal naming patterns maintained in daily life. Patronymics are of interest in genealogy and onomastics for tracing lineage and understanding naming conventions.

See also: matronym, surname, middle name, given name.