Anderson

Anderson is a surname meaning a son of Anders or Andrew. Anders belongs to the Andrew name family, but the direct surname meaning describes descent rather than simply repeating Andrew’s older meaning. The form is now also used as a first name.

Journalist Anderson Cooper is a familiar bearer. Andy and Anders offer possible short forms, with the latter preserving the name embedded in the surname. Families can choose Anderson to honor an Andrew without using the identical first name. The longer form also works independently when there is no literal parent named Anders, as is common with surname-based given names.