Family name origins & meanings
- Americanized spelling of Swedish Persson.
- German : patronymic from Peer, Low German variant of Peter.
- French (mainly northeastern) : reduced form of Per(r)esson, from a pet form (with double diminutive suffix -eçon, -esson) of the personal name Pierre, French form of Peter.
- Jewish : origin uncertain; perhaps an Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish names.