The Nielson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,511 people carried this name — #3,137 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,600 people counted. That is up 11% from 10,410 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Nielson surname

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: Ricardus Nelleson, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 552 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 53 people named Nielson live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Misiones.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Misiones 17
Neuquén 14
San Juan 12
Buenos Aires Province 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Nielson in American newspapers,
1912–1921.

Newspaper page from The Intelligencer carrying the name Nielson
The Intelligencer 1915-05-15
Newspaper page from Evening Capital And Maryland Gazette carrying the name Nielson
Evening Capital And Maryland Gazette 1921-09-15
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Nielson
Evening Star 1912-03-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 32,880 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nielson in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

13,686 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nielson. The most, 2,841, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 7,135
New South Wales 2,991
Western Australia 1,092
Victoria 1,035
South Australia 639
Tasmania 609
ACT (Canberra) 134
Northern Territory 11

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

Who carried it

People named Nielson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Minnie J. Nielson
    Minnie J. Nielson 1874–1958 · politician
  • Jens Nielson 1821–1906
  • Jens Nielson 1821–1906
  • Francis Neilson 1867–1961 · actor
  • Francis Neilson 1867–1961 · actor
  • Jane Edith Hampton 1872–1915

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 Nielson,
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 States1,574 records

1,574 records of the Nielson name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 580
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 378
  • Other U.S. records 616
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Carl E. H. Nielson

    Born 1917 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1941 at Boston; photographer from Norfolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    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 Christiana Nielson

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Belgravia from Cuxhaven, aged 19; servant. From Ringtobing, Denmark.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Leif Nielson

    Born 1941; from Takoma Park, Maryland. U.S. Army, motion picture specialist; died of wounds 1968 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,574 records for Nielson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · 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: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia481 records

481 records of the Nielson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 197
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 179
  • Other Australian records 105
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Oliver Nielson

    Died 1936 in Tasmania, aged 83. Will registered in Tasmania in 1936.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Niels Nielson

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1840. Married 1840 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 44.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eliz Nielson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the David G Fleming, aged 22; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 481 records for Nielson 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) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands94 records

94 records of the Nielson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 65
  • Dutch population registers 19
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 10
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Nicolaas Adrianus Nielson

    Born 1838 in Dordrecht. Married in 1862 in Dordrecht. Died 1917 in Dordrecht, aged 78.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Cornelis Nielson

    Born 1880 in Dordrecht. Married in 1907 in Dordrecht. Died 1964 in Rotterdam, aged 83.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Geertje Nielson

    Born 1876 in Dordrecht. Died 1914 in Dordrecht, aged 37.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 94 records for Nielson 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).

Canada62 records

62 records of the Nielson name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 22
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 14
  • Other Canadian records 26
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hansson Nielson

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Dominion, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; Dane.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Keld Aago Nielson

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 83.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Arnold Thomas Nielson

    Died 1935 in Londonderry Station, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 62 records for Nielson in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany32 records

32 records of the Nielson 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 Peter Nielson

    From Oldendorf, Oldenburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 2 November 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 76).

    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 Hinrich Nielson

    From Sensby, Eckernförde. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 16 September 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 230).

    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 Nielson 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).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Nielson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Harriett Jane Nielson

    Died 1949, aged 78; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Josephine Patricia Nielson

    Died 1995, aged 74; buried at Omahu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Myra Constance Nielson

    Died 1985, aged 86; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Nielson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Nielson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Muir Nielson

    Buried in 1898 at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 79.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. C. Nielson

    Second Lieutenant. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nielson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nielson 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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