Surname Erasmuson - Meaning and Origin

Erasmuson: What does the surname Erasmuson mean?

The last name Erasmuson is of European origin and has a deep and complex history. It is believed to come from the Dutch-Germanic word ‘erasmus,’ which is related to the Latin word ‘erasmum’ meaning ‘beloved’ or ‘dear.’ The name was first used in the 15th century, after the 15th century priest and scholar, Desiderius Erasmus, for whom the name was likely derived and is believed to have been one of the first to employ the title. The origin of the ‘-son’ portion of the name is non-definitive, but is likely related to the Northern and Middle Germanic suffix ‘-sunu’ meaning ‘son of.’ Thus, the name could be interpreted to mean ‘beloved son,’ and historically was often used to denote the firstborn son of a family within the surname. Throughout its centuries of use, the Erasmuson name has spread throughout Europe, with many people bearing the surname living throughout Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States.

Erasmuson: Where does the name Erasmuson come from?

The last name Erasmuson can be found in many countries throughout the world. It originated in Scandinavia, specifically Sweden, but is now common in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and even some parts of Europe.

In the United States, the last name Erasmuson is quite common. You can find it predominantly in the Midwest and Northeast, with some in the Rocky Mountain region as well. It is particularly prominent in North Dakota and Minnesota, where it's ranked in the top 250 of most popular last names.

In Canada, you'll find the last name Erasmuson in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Across the pond in Europe, people with the last name Erasmuson are commonly found in Norway, Finland, and Denmark.

The exact origins of this last name are not known for sure. It is believed to have originated from the Ancient Greek name Erasmius, which was eventually ported to Sweden where it became Erasmuson. It is thought that it was a name given to those who worked as farmers, most likely in the 15th or 16th centuries.

Today, the last name Erasmuson is common in parts of the world where Scandinavians have immigrated. It is also common among descendants of Scandinavian immigrants, who may have kept the name through marriage or over the course of generations.

Variations of the surname Erasmuson

Erasmuson is a relatively uncommon Swedish patronymic surname, with variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin including Erasmusson, Erasmussen, Erasmusson, Ersmussen, Erasson, Rasmson, Erasson, Rasmuson, Rasmusson, Rasmusson, Rasmusen, Rasmunsen, Erasmusen, Erasmesson, Rasmunsen, Rasmusson, and Ersmuson.

The surname stem from the traditional Scandinavian practice of using patronymic surnames, which is a pattern for naming children based on the given name of their biological father. These style of surnames occur when the first name of one's father is combined with the suffix –son, -dotter, -sen, -dotir/datter or -dottir to create a surname.

Therefore, for example in this case, if Erasmusons’ fathers’ first name was Rasmus, his surname would have been Erasmuson. The spelling and pronunciations of Erasmuson and its derivatives will vary depending on the particular area or region of the country that the patronymic surname is located.

In some cases, for example, Danish and Norwegian surnames, a double "s" is used if the name originates from Denmark, whereas if the origin is Swedish, the spelling of the surname would include only single "s". As a result, the variants for Erasmuson appears to be mainly based around this difference in spelling, and a few minor variations.

Regardless of the country of origin, all variations of the Erasmuson surname share the same origin. Erasmuson is also commonly found in Northern European countries, such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark.

Famous people with the name Erasmuson

• Carl Fredrik Erasmuson (1794-1856), Swedish architect
• Anna Erasmuson (1866-1928), Swedish female author
• Karl August Erasmuson (1883-1973), Swedish major general
• Birger Erasmuson (1883-1955), Swedish engineer
• Eskil Erasmuson (1901-1989), Swedish journalist
• John Erasmuson (1930-2008), Swedish-American soldier
• Bill Erasmuson (1936-2017), Canadian politician
• Henrik Erasmuson (born 1940), Swedish virologist
• Inger Erasmuson (born 1947), Swedish sport shooter
• Lars Erasmuson (born 1950), Swedish politician and diplomatic
• Michael Erasmuson (born 1951), Swedish hockey player
• Tim Erasmuson (born 1979), Swedish footballer

Other surnames

Erasmus