Anderson, Andersson or Andersen is a surname deriving from a patronymic meaning "son of Anders/Andrew" (itself derived from the Greek name "Andreas", meaning "man" or "manly"). It has originated in parallel in Scotland and the Nordic countries.
In Scotland, the name was first found in the Great Glen and Strathspey[citation needed], where the Anderson family was seated from ancient times[when?]. The name soon migrated to England. Anderson is the 43rd-most common surname in the United Kingdom.[1]
In Sweden, the form Andersson (and also Anderson) is the second-most common name[2].
In Norway and Denmark, the form Andersen is quite common, being the fifth most common surname in both countries[3][4] - see Andersen.
The Scandinavian forms Andersson and Andersen were often rendered as Anderson by immigrants to the English-speaking countries, whereby the latter form become one of the most common American surnames. The name was eleventh most common surname reported in the 1990 United States census, accounting for 0.3% of the population.[5] It is the twelfth most common surname reported in the 2000 United States Census.[6] Anderson is also one of the most common surnames in Canada[7]. Other spelling variations include: Andison, Andersonne, Andersoun, Andirsoone, Andresoun, Androson, Andirston, Andresson, Andrewson, and Andresen.
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