sson

sson is a patronymic suffix meaning “son” used in Scandinavian naming traditions to indicate lineage. It derives from the Old Norse word for son and is attached to a given name to form a surname or patronymic, with the form and usage varying by region.

In Iceland, the surname system is predominantly patronymic or matronymic rather than a fixed family name. A child’s last name typically reflects the parent’s given name plus -sson for a son or -dóttir for a daughter. For example, Jónsson means “son of Jón,” and the daughter would be Jónsdóttir. Because the name reflects the parent's name, the surname changes with each generation, and individuals are usually addressed by their given name.

In Sweden, Norway, and to a lesser extent Denmark, -sson forms have become common as hereditary surnames. These originated as patronymics but were gradually adopted as fixed family names. Notable Swedish examples include Johansson, Karlsson, and Larsson. Norwegian and Danish variants often use -sen or -son, such as Johansen or Hansen, reflecting local spelling conventions. In contemporary usage, -sson and its variants typically no longer signal a current father’s name; they function as ordinary family surnames.

Overall, -sson is one of several Nordic patronymic suffixes that historically linked a person to their father but has largely become a conventional surname marker in many contexts. The English-speaking world often encounters -son spellings as a related but broader form.