'atchison' originates from Middle English/Scots, specifically the name 'Aitchison' (also seen as 'Acheson' or 'Atkinson'), where the element 'Ait/Aitch/At' was a pet form of the personal name 'Adam' and the suffix '-son' meant 'son of'.

'atchison' changed from medieval Scots and northern English forms such as 'Acheson' and 'Aitchison' (and from patronymic formations like 'Atkinson') and eventually became the modern surname 'Atchison'.

Initially it meant 'son of Adam' as a patronymic; over time it became a hereditary family name and later was applied to places and institutions named after people with that surname.