BELSON
Belson is an English surname that originally derived from the medieval personal name Bella or Belle, which translates as ‘beautiful’ in Old French. The suffix -son denotes ‘son of’, and was therefore employed to signify the descendant of a person named Bella or Belle.
The name is recorded as an English pre‑medieval surname, but it is unusual in that it originates from the pre‑10th century Old French female personal name Belisante. Because it is a metronymic surname, it is interpreted as being derived from the mother rather than the father. The existence of this form reflects the equal property rights formerly afforded to women in the Anglo‑Saxon period, a situation that survived until the twentieth century.
Early documentary evidence shows the surname in the early fourteenth century. The Assise Register of Kent first records a Thomas Beleson in 1317, during the reign of King Edward III. Subsequent mentions include John Belessone of Crowland Abbey in 1327 and William Belsent of Sussex in the same year.
Another proposed origin links the surname to the Devonshire placename Belstone, meaning ‘bell stone’. This theory treats the surname as a topographic name for a person who lived near a notable stone or a bell‑shaped feature. Such names were commonplace for people who resided close to a landmark such as a hill, stream or church building.
The surname has appeared in a variety of spellings, including Belsen, Belston, Belsonne, Bellson, Belgrave, Bellegrave, Bellgrave, Belesgrave, Belsgrave, Bellesgrave, Bellsoon and Belsohn. The range of variants reflects the lack of standardised spelling in earlier centuries and the influence of both French and Germanic linguistic elements.
In modern statistics the surname remains relatively uncommon. An estimate of 3,832 individuals in the United States, predominantly in New York City’s boroughs, represents the greatest concentration, followed by approximately 589 bearers in Ontario, Canada, and 422 in Russia. The distribution suggests a modest yet global presence.
Typical given names associated with the Belson surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Nigel
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Timothy
Female
- Amy
- Diane
- Jane
- Jayne
- Joan
- Judith
- Julie
- Linda
- Mary
- Patricia
- Ruth
- Sheila
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Bleson
- Belso
- Bahlson
- Bailson
- Balcin
- Baleson
- Ballison
- Ballson
- Balsano
- Balsiene
- Balsom
- Balson
- Balsone
- Balzan
- Balzani
- Balzano
- Baulson
- Bealson
- Beleson
- Beleznai
- Bellahcene
- Bellcini
- Belleson
- Bellison
- Bellsome
- Bellson
- Belon
- Belsan
- Belsom
- Belston
- Belteson
- Belzon
- Billison
- Billson
- Bilson
- Bilzon
- Blason
- Blasson
- Blayson
- Blazina
- Blesene
- Blessen
- Blesson
- Blessyn
- Bluson
- Bohlsen
- Bolison
- Bollason
- Bollison
- Bolsan
- Bolsin
- Bolson
- Bolzan
- Bolzon
- Bolzoni
- Boulson
- Bowlson
- Boylson
- Bulluson
- Bulosan
- Bulson
- Bulzan
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Belson in...
Braille
⠃⠑⠇⠎⠕⠝
Morse
-.....-.....----.
Semaphore
There are approximately 525 people named Belson in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around eight in a million people in Britain are named Belson.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
