Meaning of Last Name

Meaning: "son of Wil"

Origins: England,Scotland

Wilson is a common surname of English and Scottish origin. It literally means "son of Wil" (William, an Old German name). It is the seventh most common surname in the United Kingdom, and eighth most common in the United States. It is the third most common surname in Scotland, and the 17th most common name in Ireland. Wilson is also now quite common as a surname in many other countries with a large English-speaking population such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. The name has also had some popularity as a first name in England beginning in the 11th and 12th centuries,date=May 2010 after William the Conqueror took the throne. As a first name Wilson is found primarily in the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa. There are 78 different Septs of Clan Gunn of which Wilson is 76th. It is reputed that a Scottish family by the name emerged in Berwickshire, in south east Scotland. They were descended from Will Gunn, who, in a minor conflict with the clan chief in Orkney or Caithness, moved the family to the southeast coast of Scotland.date=May 2010