# Robertson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/robertson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 153,666 |
| US rank (2010) | 175 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,009 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.2% (150,299 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɑ.bɚt.sən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Robert + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Robertson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 73% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 21% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Robertson in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and India.

## People named Robertson

- Cliff Robertson, American actor (1923–2011)
- Oscar Robertson, American basketball player (born 1938)
- Britt Robertson, American actress (born 1990)
- Neil Robertson, Australian professional snooker player
- Pat Robertson, American media mogul and minister (1930–2023)
- Dale Robertson, American actor (1923-2013)
- Alvin Robertson, American basketball player (born 1962)
- Kimmy Robertson, American actress
- Patricia Robertson, American astronaut (1963–2001)
- Howard P. Robertson, American mathematician and physicist (1903–1961)
- Morgan Robertson, American writer (1861–1915)
- Dennis Robertson, British economist (1890–1963)

and 39 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Roberts, Robert, Roberto, Robards, Rafferty, Rupert, Rivard, Ruppert, Rayford, Raiford, Reppert, Ruperto.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.