Where does “godson” come from?

Godson comes from Middle English godsone, from Old English godsunu, literally meaning "god's son."

godson (English): A male child whose baptism is sponsored by a...

Definitions

  1. A male child whose baptism is sponsored by a...

Ancestry of “godson”, step by step

godson traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English God

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGodA being such as a monotheistic God: a single...
2Middle EnglishgodA god or deity; a divine individual; A person...
3Old Englishgōda good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,...
4Proto-West Germanicgōdgood
5Proto-Germanicgudąinvoked one; god, deity
6Proto-Germanicgastizstranger, guest
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰóstisstranger, host
8Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots

via English Sơn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSơn
2Middle Englishsoneson; soon; Alternative form of sonne
3Old Englishsōnaimmediately, at once
4Proto-West Germanicsān(ō)immediately
5Proto-Germanicsēna
6Proto-Germanic*sa
7Proto-Austronesian*əsa
8Proto-Oceanic*isa

via Middle English godsone

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgodsonegodson
2Old Englishgodsunugodson
3Old Englishsunuson, male child
4Proto-West Germanicsunuson
5Proto-Germanicsunuzson
6Proto-Indo-European*suhnús
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis
godson — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer