Jónasson

Jónasson is a common Icelandic surname. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the given name of the father. In this case, Jónasson means "son of Jónas". The name Jónas is the Icelandic form of the biblical name Jonah. As with many Icelandic surnames, Jónasson is not typically inherited through marriage. Icelanders retain their birth names throughout their lives, and children receive a surname based on the given name of their father (or, less commonly, their mother). The prevalence of patronymic surnames in Iceland means that individuals within the same family often have different surnames. The name is typically written without any diacritics, although the acute accent on the 'ó' is understood.