The Simonsen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,430 people carried this name — #9,484 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 86,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 3,377 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Simonsen surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

Originally a patronymic from Simon + -sen.

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

In Switzerland’s population statistics

28 people named Simonsen live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Basel-Landschaft.

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

Where they live today

Basel-Landschaft 14
Zurich 6
Graubünden 5
Vaud 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

5,988 people named Simonsen are counted in Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Norway (2025) 5,459
Sweden (2022) 439
Finland (2026) 90

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) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Simonsen in American newspapers,
1894–1914.

Newspaper page from Daily Public Ledger carrying the name Simonsen
Daily Public Ledger 1894-05-25
Newspaper page from The Eureka Sentinel carrying the name Simonsen
The Eureka Sentinel 1904-09-10
Newspaper page from The Eureka Sentinel carrying the name Simonsen
The Eureka Sentinel 1914-05-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Simonsen in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1970s.

7,935 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Simonsen. The most, 2,544, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,948
New South Wales 2,048
South Australia 916
Queensland 898
Tasmania 606
Western Australia 506
ACT (Canberra) 5
Northern Territory 3

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

Who carried it

People named Simonsen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Vedel Simonsen
    Vedel Simonsen 1780–1858 · poet
  • Niels Simonsen
    Niels Simonsen 1807–1885 · sculptor
  • Sophus Simonsen
    Sophus Simonsen 1810–1857 · violinist
  • Jørgen Simonsen d. 1602 · priest
  • Torgeir Simonsen Ku til Tomb 1145–
  • Anders Simonsen 1628–1696

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 Simonsen,
in the records of 8 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 States704 records

704 records of the Simonsen name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 214
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 156
  • Other U.S. records 334
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard Harold Simonsen

    Born 1949; from Portland, Oregon. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, 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 Norman Simonsen

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; draftsman from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, 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 Else Simonsen

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Graf Waldersee from Plymouth, aged 25; servant. From Sander, Denmark.

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

Showing 3 of 704 records for Simonsen in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · 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).

Netherlands424 records

424 records of the Simonsen name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 343
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 49
  • Dutch population registers 32
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Suzanna Simonsen

    Married in 1827 in Zaamslag; maidservant. Died 1831 in Zaamslag, aged 36; labourer.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Janneke Simonsen

    Born 1808 in Axel. Married in 1835 in Terneuzen; maidservant.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Adrian Simonsen

    Died 1850 in Eefde, aged 68; sailor.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 424 records for Simonsen 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).

Australia231 records

231 records of the Simonsen name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 138
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 57
  • Other Australian records 36
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Svend W. Simonsen

    Arrived in Victoria in 1883 aboard the Catania, aged 30; Danish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Carl C. Simonsen

    Former baker of Clayton, Victoria; died 1952.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Biographical index Merle Simonsen

    Born 1906, died 2001; obituary published in Western Australia.

    State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 231 records for Simonsen 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany130 records

130 records of the Simonsen 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 Simonsen

    Born 1892; from Markerop, Flensburg. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 5 December 1918 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 61).

    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 Bernhard Simonsen

    From Altona. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 5 August 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 222).

    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 Simon Simonsen

    From Ostergasse, Hadersleben. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 23 August 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 157).

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

Showing 3 of 130 records for Simonsen 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 Zealand16 records

16 records of the Simonsen name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 15
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leonard Peter Simonsen

    Died 1966, aged 78; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Isabella F. Simonsen

    Died 1934; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Baryl Lucy Simonsen

    Died 1996, aged 85; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Simonsen in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · 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).

Norway6 records

6 records of the Simonsen name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johan Rudolf Simonsen

    Census of 1910: Lille Grænsegate, Kristiania; "skomakerlærling", born 1894 in Vermlan.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Aagot Simonsen

    Census of 1910: Stensvik (gaard), Fane; born 1906 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Axel Georg Simonsen

    Census of 1910: Lille Grænsegate, Kristiania; born 1887 in Vermlan.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Simonsen in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada4 records

4 records of the Simonsen name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helmi Simonsen

    Buried in 1991 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 Robert Emil Simonsen

    Died in service in 1942.

    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 Bertram Simonsen

    Died 1969; 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 Simonsen in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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).

France4 records

4 records of the Simonsen 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 Carl Henning Simonsen

    Born 1922 in Denmark; died 1992 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bernt Simonsen

    Born 1940 in the Netherlands; died 1993 in Perros-Guirec (Côtes-d'Armor).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Simonsen in France.

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Simonsen.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Simonsen 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.

See the Simonsen volume
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