Origins
The word "patronymic" is a compound that bridges two of the most important word families in Indo-European languages: the family of "father" and the family of "name." It entered English in the early 17th century from Greek "patrōnymikós" (formed from the father's name), itself composed of "patḗr" (father) and "ónyma" (name, a dialectal variant of "ónoma"). The two Proto-Indo-European roots at its heart — *ph₂tḗr (father) and *h₁nómn̥ (name) — are among the most universally preserved roots across the entire language family.
A patronymic is a personal name derived from the name of one's father (or sometimes a more distant male ancestor). The practice is ancient and nearly universal. In Homer's "Iliad," heroes are routinely identified by patronymics: Achilles is "Pēleḯdēs" (son of Peleus), Odysseus is "Laertiádēs" (son of Laertes). These Homeric patronymics used the Greek suffix "-idēs" (son of), and it was to describe this naming convention that Greek grammarians coined the term "patrōnymikón."
Different languages developed different strategies for forming patronymics. English and Scandinavian languages used "-son": Johnson (son of John), Anderson (son of Andrew), Erikson (son of Erik). Gaelic languages prefixed "Mac" or "Mc": MacDonald (son of Donald), MacKenzie (son of Coinneach). Irish used "O'" (from "ua," grandson): O'Brien (descendant of Brian), O'Connor. Welsh used "ap" or "ab" (son of), which merged with names to produce forms like Price (ap Rhys), Bowen (ab Owen), and Powell (ap Hywel).
Eastern Roots
Slavic languages used "-ovich" / "-evich" for males and "-ovna" / "-evna" for females: Ivanovich (son of Ivan), Ivanovna (daughter of Ivan). Arabic used "ibn" (son of): Ibn Battuta, Ibn Sina. Hebrew used "ben": Benjamin (son of the right hand), Ben-Gurion. These diverse systems all accomplish the same act: naming a person through their father.
The shift from living patronymics (changing each generation) to fixed hereditary surnames (passed unchanged from parent to child) occurred at different times in different cultures. In England, surnames became fixed during the 13th and 14th centuries. The name "Johnson" originally meant "John's son" — a living patronymic that identified one specific generation. Once it became hereditary, a Johnson might have a father named William, but the name no longer reflected that fact. The patronymic had fossilized into a surname.
Iceland is the most prominent European holdout. Icelanders still use living patronymics: Björk Guðmundsdóttir is "Björk, daughter of Guðmundur," and her children would take their father's first name as their surname base. There are no family surnames in the traditional Icelandic system. Phone directories in Iceland are organized by first name, not last name, because the "last name" changes every generation.
Later History
The "matronymic" — a name derived from the mother — is the feminine counterpart of the patronymic. While far less common historically, matronymics appear in various cultures. Some Icelandic people now choose matronymics. In medieval Europe, matronymics sometimes indicated illegitimacy or a particularly prominent mother.
The root *ph₂tḗr produced "father" in English (via Germanic), "pater" in Latin, "patḗr" in Greek, "pitr" in Sanskrit — all recognizably similar. From the Latin branch come "paternal" (fatherly), "patriarch" (father-ruler), "patrimony" (father's inheritance), "patron" (one who acts as a father figure), and "patriot" (one devoted to the fatherland). The Greek branch gave us "patriarchy" and "Patrick" (nobleman, from the same root).
The root *h₁nómn̥ produced "name" in English (via Germanic), "nōmen" in Latin, "ónoma" in Greek. From the Greek branch come "synonym" (same-name), "antonym" (opposite-name), "homonym" (like-name), "pseudonym" (false-name), "anonymous" (without-name), and "eponym" (upon-name — one whose name is given to something). The Latin branch gave "nominal," "nominate," "denomination," and "noun."
Legacy
"Patronymic" stands at the intersection of these two great families, embodying the ancient human practice of defining identity through lineage and language through naming. Every surname that ends in "-son," begins with "Mac," or contains "ibn" is a fossilized act of this same conjunction: father plus name.