This is a patronymic i.e. "the son of Steen", a petform of the personal name Steven (coming from the Greek "Stephanos" and translating as "laurel wreath"). The surname from this source is first recorded in the mid 15th Century. One, Thomas Stensoun was freeman of Prestwick in 1556 and a Willie Stensone was tenant under the Abbey of Kelso in 1567. Alternate spellings of the name have included:- Stenesoun (1580), Steinsone (1632), Steinson (1655) and Steenson (1724). In the modern idiom, the name is spelt Steinson, Steenson, or Stemson. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Stenson. which was dated 1455 who was Burgess of Glasgow. during the reign of King James 11, of Scotland, 1437 - 1460. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.