The third most frequently registered name in Scotland, the name is derived from "William". Because of its frequency, it is not identified with any one area but it is particularly prominent in Fife and Angus.
James Wilson from Ceres in Fife was one of those who drafted the Constitution of the USA and Alexander Wilson from Paisley became known in the 18th century as a father of American ornithology. Author John Wilson (1785-1854) is better known by his pen name Christopher North. George Washington Wilson, born in Banff in 1823, was an early photographer who published a vast collection of scenic views at the end of the 19th century. Charles T R Wilson (1869-1959) was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1927 for his construction of a cloud chamber for photographing particles from outer space. The American President Woodrow Wilson was from Scottish and Irish roots.
Wilson was the 3rd most frequent surname at the General Register Office in 1995.
Wilson is a sept (sub-branch) of the clans Gunn and Innes.
