patronymic

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a name derived from the given name of a person's father or a male ancestor

   Johnson began as a patronymic meaning "son of John."

2. 2
   adj

   of a name, derived from the name of a father or male ancestor

   The patronymic ending -son appears in many English surnames.

From Greek patronymikos, built from patēr, "father," and onyma or onoma, "name." English also analyzes it as patronym + -ic. Unlike a hereditary surname in general, a patronymic specifically identifies someone through a father or paternal ancestor.

Topics