The Nelsen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,825 people carried this name — #5,128 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 43,300 people counted. That is up 7% from 6,352 in 2000.

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In the Nordic population registers

64 people named Nelsen is counted in Sweden.

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

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 64

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

Nelsen in American newspapers,
1917–1929.

Newspaper page from The Hope Pioneer carrying the name Nelsen
The Hope Pioneer 1917-11-08
Newspaper page from The Bismarck Tribune carrying the name Nelsen
The Bismarck Tribune 1929-03-29
Newspaper page from The Bowbells Tribune carrying the name Nelsen
The Bowbells Tribune 1921-12-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 17,987 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nelsen in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

2,004 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nelsen. The most, 493, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 991
South Australia 525
Victoria 191
Queensland 188
Western Australia 68
Tasmania 21
ACT (Canberra) 11
Northern Territory 7

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

Who carried it

People named Nelsen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Nels Nelsen
    Nels Nelsen 1894–1943 · ski jumper
  • Ancher Nelsen
    Ancher Nelsen 1904–1992 · politician
  • Stephen F. Nelsen d. 2017 · botanist
  • Carla Nelsen 1897–1988 · actor
  • Chester Nelsen 1902–1987 · sport cyclist
  • Ibsen Nelsen 1919–2001 · architect

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 Nelsen,
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 States1,093 records

1,093 records of the Nelsen name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 369
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 235
  • Other U.S. records 489
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Dean Richard Nelsen

    Born 1946; from Portland, Oregon. U.S. Navy, engineman; killed in action 1967 in Phong Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert E. Nelsen

    Born 1910 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; plumber from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

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

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1867 aboard the Union from Bremen, aged 22; gardener. From Bremen, Germany; bound for Baltimore.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,093 records for Nelsen in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (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) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia53 records

53 records of the Nelsen name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 22
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 20
  • Other Australian records 11
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Albert Edwin Nelsen

    Electrical fitter of Northcote, Victoria; died 1973.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Frederick Nelsen

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Hannah Nicholson, aged 33.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Sam Christian Nelsen

    Naturalised in Queensland in 1882.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 53 records for Nelsen in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands43 records

43 records of the Nelsen name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 17
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 16
  • Dutch population registers 10
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hendrik Nelsen

    Married in 1777 in Breda; soldier.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johanna Nelsen

    Died 1818 in Den Haag, aged 73.

    Open Archives, Nationaal Archief Rijksarchief Zuid-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johan Nelsen

    In the population register of Werkendam; born 1903.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Langstraat Heusden Altena (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Nelsen in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Germany32 records

32 records of the Nelsen 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 Heinrich Nelsen

    From Süchteln, Preußen. Reported wounded in the Württemberg casualty list of 15 July 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 126).

    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 Josef Nelsen

    From Crefeld-Oppum. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 19 June 1918.

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

Showing 2 of 32 records for Nelsen 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).

Canada6 records

6 records of the Nelsen name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 4
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Albert Nelsen

    Died 1941; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Ellen Nelsen

    Died 1939 in Preston, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Henri Nelsen

    Married 1849 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 6 records for Nelsen in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Nelsen name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alfons Nelsen

    Died 1954 in Aarschot; born 1926 in Betekom.

    Open Archives, Stedelijk Archief en Documentatiecentrum Aarschot (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Pepinus Nelsen

    Died 1964 in Aarschot; born 1890 in Betekom.

    Open Archives, Stedelijk Archief en Documentatiecentrum Aarschot (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Nelsen name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Nelsen

    Died 1904, aged 47; buried at Lyttelton Catholic Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nelsen.

When the index is not enough

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

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