1. a name derived from the name of a father or ancestor

1. of, relating to, or derived from the name of a father or ancestor

Examples

• Johnson is a patronymic meaning ‘son of John’.
• Many Scandinavian surnames are patronymics ending in -son or -sen.
• The patronymic system was common in medieval Europe.
• His patronymic surname traced back five generations.
• Russian names often include a patronymic middle name.
• The patronymic tradition varies among different cultures.