Andersson

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A common Swedish patronymic surname meaning son of Anders, carried by many people in Sweden and other countries
2. A Swedish family name derived from the given name Anders, literally meaning the son of Anders
3. Surname of Swedish origin formed from Anders with the suffix for son, shared by numerous families

Etymology: Andersson is a Swedish patronymic surname meaning "son of Anders," built from the given name Anders (itself a Swedish form of Greek "Andreas," meaning "manly" or "brave") plus the suffix "-son," "son." Swedish naming long followed this pattern, so a family name like this marks a father's first name rather than a shared ancestral surname. English borrowed the name directly from Swedish, which is why it keeps its Swedish spelling and form rather than being anglicized. Because it is a surname, its use in English is largely confined to people and families who bear it, most famously in Scandinavian and sports contexts, rather than as a general word with its own separate meanings.