The Michaelson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,950 people carried this name — #8,380 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,600 people counted. That is up 5% from 3,779 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Michaelson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Michael + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Michaelson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Michael’.

An early record he cites: Hugh fil. Micahel, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls. Fil. is Latin for “son of”.

His entry covers Michael and Michaelson.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 530 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

27 people named Michaelson is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 27

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Michaelson in American newspapers,
1904–1906.

Newspaper page from Kingsbury County Independent carrying the name Michaelson
Kingsbury County Independent 1906-11-02
Newspaper page from Kingsbury County Independent carrying the name Michaelson
Kingsbury County Independent 1906-11-16
Newspaper page from Morning Appeal carrying the name Michaelson
Morning Appeal 1904-06-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,079 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Michaelson in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

467 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Michaelson. The most, 71, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 228
New South Wales 153
Queensland 24
Tasmania 20
Western Australia 17
South Australia 14
ACT (Canberra) 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Michaelson.

Who carried it

People named Michaelson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Knut Michaelson
    Knut Michaelson 1841–1915 · artist
  • Margarete Michaelson
    Margarete Michaelson 1873–1924 · writer
  • M. Alfred Michaelson
    M. Alfred Michaelson 1878–1949 · politician
  • Rosa Michaelson 1858–1942
  • Jarno Jessen 1860–1926 · author
  • Lucie Goldstein 1867–1942

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Michaelson,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States713 records

713 records of the Michaelson name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 378
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 146
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 89
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 42
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 40
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 17
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James D. Michaelson

    Born 1919 in Illinois. Enlisted 1942 at Peoria; checker from Peoria County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Lakeside Cemetery, Pekin, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anna Michaelson

    Arrived at New York in 1882 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; nurse. Bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Edward R. Michaelson

    U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1949, died 1975; buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 713 records for Michaelson in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia33 records

33 records of the Michaelson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 14
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 14
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 3
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Gertie Michaelson

    Arrived in Queensland in 1886 aboard the Jumna, aged 25.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert G. Michaelson

    Former cafe proprietor of Kensington, Victoria; died 1958.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Charles Michaelson

    Left Hobart Town in 1849 aboard the Pryde, bound for Whaling Voyage, as crew.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Michaelson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada4 records

4 records of the Michaelson name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alfred Edgar Michaelson

    Died 1954; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Richard Gibson Michaelson

    Died in service in 1919.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ole Michaelson

    Died 1928; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 4 records for Michaelson in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Germany4 records

4 records of the Michaelson name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Edgar Michaelson

    From Berlin. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 14 August 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 24).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Michaelson

    From Nesser-Deich, Kreis Norderdithmarschen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 25 September 1914 (Grenadier Regiment No. 5).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Martin Michaelson

    From Danzig. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 22 May 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Michaelson in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Michaelson name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record D. Michaelson

    Lancashire Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Michaelson

    Lance Corporal, Manchester Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Michaelson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Harold Montague Michaelson

    Born 1924 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Fréjus (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Michaelson name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johann Christoph Michaelson

    In the population register of Steenderen; born 1792 in Meckelenburg Swerin.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Michaelson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Michaelson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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