The Edson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,906 people carried this name — #8,455 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 75,800 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (3,911).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Edson surname

From Ed + -son; originally given to the son of a man named Ed.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Edson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘son of Ede’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 267 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

74 families named Edson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 436 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 37
Vermont 14
Connecticut 7
Virginia 5
Pennsylvania 4
New Hampshire 3
South Carolina 2
Maine 1
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 239 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Edson in American newspapers,
1893–1911.

Newspaper page from The Watchman And Southron carrying the name Edson
The Watchman And Southron 1903-09-09
Newspaper page from The Lakeland Evening Telegram carrying the name Edson
The Lakeland Evening Telegram 1911-12-21
Newspaper page from The Woman's Tribune carrying the name Edson
The Woman's Tribune 1893-01-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 123,669 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Edson in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

5,981 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Edson. The most, 1,233, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 5.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 3,536
New South Wales 1,271
Victoria 545
Queensland 250
Western Australia 232
Tasmania 88
Northern Territory 24
ACT (Canberra) 19

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Edson.

Who carried it

People named Edson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Susan Ann Edson
    Susan Ann Edson 1823–1897 · physician
  • Francis Edson
    Francis Edson 1823–1900 · politician
  • Samuel Edson 1613–1692 · deacon
  • Samuel Edson III 1690–1771
  • Anne Edson 1723–1823
  • Lewis Edson 1748–1820 · composer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Edson,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States417 records

417 records of the Edson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 141
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 119
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 66
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 46
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 27
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 14
  • Sacramento County historic burials 2
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Kenneth A. Edson

    Born 1918 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Boston; machine shop worker from Norfolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Curlita Edson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 34; servant. From Dublin, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record David J. Edson

    U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Born 1930, died 1998; buried at Chester Cemetery, Quincy, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 417 records for Edson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia71 records

71 records of the Edson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 34
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 18
  • Tasmanian Names Index 16
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 1
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Edward Edson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Jardine, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Pensford, Somerset.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Anita Edson

    Gentlewoman of Elwood, Victoria; died 1985.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizth Edson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1883 aboard the Cuzco, aged 2.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 71 records for Edson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada7 records

7 records of the Edson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 6
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Shirley Edson

    Died 1998; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frances Edson

    Married 1871 in Inglewood, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record John Robert Edward Edson

    Born 1920 in Annapolis Royal, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 7 records for Edson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Edson name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. R. Edson

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Edson

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Edson

    Cambridgeshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Edson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Andrea Denise Antoinette Edson

    Born 1920 in Artres; died 2001 in Sebourg (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gilbert Rene Francois Edson

    Born 1919 in La Ferté-Imbault (Loir-et-Cher); died 1983 in Dinan (Côtes-d'Armor).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Edson name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Hannah Edson

    Born 1853 in Hekendorp.

    Open Archives, RHC Rijnstreek en Lopikerwaard (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Edson.

When the index is not enough

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