Iverson

Iverson is a surname meaning “son of Ivar.” Its immediate meaning describes a family relationship; the bow-and-warrior interpretation associated with Ivar belongs one step further back in the name's history. Keeping those levels separate explains the surname more clearly than treating Iverson itself as a word for an archer.

Basketball player Allen Iverson provides a well-known surname association. That may be a reason for choosing the given name, while other families may have an ancestral Iverson connection. Iversen is a closely related surname spelling to compare. The three-syllable form has a different rhythm from Ivar, allowing a family to preserve the connection while choosing the fuller surname style.