Wilkinson surname meaning

Wilkinson is an English and Scottish patronymic surname meaning “son of Wilkin.” Wilkin was a medieval diminutive of William, so the surname records descent or family association with a man known by that shorter name. Wilkenson, Wilkison, and Wilkerson preserve spelling and pronunciation changes found in English records; some Wilkerson forms may have developed independently. The surname could arise in many places from different men named Wilkin, so the pattern is more secure than one genealogy. The catalog uses parent’s name with high confidence because the Wilkin-plus-son formation is direct and consistently documented.