DAVIDSON - An English and Scottish patronymic surname which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames.  This surname comes from the religious naming tradition, and was adopted from the popular biblical surname, David, which in Hebrew means beloved. Davidson simply breaks down to the son of David.

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The Davidson surname is believed to date as far back as the 15th Century, BC, and to have come to Scotland from Brittany, with the Picts (a mysterious warrior people of ancient Britain).  The first Chief of the Clan Davidson was of Pictish descent.  He was the fourth son of the Chief of Clan Chattan, of which the Davidson's became a part.

Surname Origin: English, Welsh, Scottish, French, Portuguese, Czech, and Jewish.

In the Middle Ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules.  Spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit.

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Alternate Surname Spellings: DAVISON, DAVISSON, DAVISINT, DAVISYN, DEBISON, DAWYSONE, DAWYSON, DAVYSONE, DAVISTSON, DAWYSOWNM DAVISOUN, DAVISEND, DAVIDSONE, DAVEYSONE, DAVESON, DAVIDSEN, DAVIDSSON, etc.

Spelling changes occurred due to branch loyalty within the family, religious adherence, patriotism, or simply different phonetic interpretations by scribes and church officials.

House of Names.com

 

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation.