Matronymics

Surnames as first names is quite the trend right now, and patronymics are a big part of that--Addison, McKenzie, Jackson, etc. Although I'll never quite get over "son" names becoming so widely popular for daughters, I have to think that part of that owes to the lack of mother/daughter names, which are unheard of in most cultures. I was greatly surprised to find out that at least one fairly common boys' name is actually derived from a feminine name--Emmett! Which, of course, sent me on a quest to find other matronymic surnames.
Hey, it may not be "daughter of ____", but it's a start!

• Anson (AN-son)--from Agnes
• Averill (AV-er-il)--from Anglo-Saxon Eoforhild/Everhild
• Babcock (BAB-kok)--from Barbara
• Bell (BEL)--from Isabel (can also be an occupational name, "bellringer")
• Dwight (DWITE)--from medieval Diot, a form of Greek Dionysia [the original form of Denise]
• Dyson (DYE-son)--another from Dionysia 
• Eads (EEDZ)--from Edith
• Eason (EE-son)--another from Edith (can also be from Adam)
• Edison (ED-ih-son)--yet another from Edith (can also be from Adam)
• Emmett (EM-met)--from Emma
• Evelyn (EV-el-in)--from Aveline 
• Ibbott (IB-bot)--from Isabel
• Madison (MAD-ih-son)--from Maude (can also be from Matthew)
• Marion (MEHR-ee-on)--from Mary
• Merrill (MEHR-ril)--from Muriel
• Royce (ROIS)--from Rose
• Ruskin (RUS-kin)--another from Rose 
• Sinason (SEE-nah-son)--from Scandinavian Sina