Find out how popular the last name Nelsen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nelsen.

Nelsen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nelsen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nelsen in America

Nelsen is the 5128th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nelsen surname appeared 6,825 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Nelsen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nelsen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nelsen

The surname Nelsen originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Denmark and Norway, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Njall" or "Njal," which means "champion" or "poet." The name was initially a patronymic, meaning it was formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the father's name, creating "Njalsson" or "Nielsson."

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Nelsen, Nielsen, Nilsen, and Nielssen. These variations emerged due to regional dialects, cultural influences, and phonetic adaptations across different parts of Scandinavia and other areas where Scandinavian settlers migrated.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Icelandic sagas, particularly the Njáls saga, which dates back to the 13th century. The saga revolves around the life and deeds of Njáll Þorgeirsson, a wealthy and influential Icelandic chieftain and legal expert.

In Norway, the name Nelsen has been recorded in historical documents dating back to the 14th century. One notable figure was Niels Nelsen (1555-1623), a Norwegian civil servant and landowner who played a significant role in the administration of Trondheim during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In Denmark, the name Nielsen is well-documented, with records dating back to the 15th century. One prominent individual was Peder Nielsen (1510-1562), a Danish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Roskilde from 1543 until his death.

Another notable figure was Adam Nelsen (1604-1647), a Danish-Norwegian astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. He was born in Norway but spent most of his career in Denmark, where he served as a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

In Sweden, the name Nilsson is more prevalent, but the variant Nelsen has also been recorded. One notable Swede with this name was Johan Nelsen (1677-1737), a Swedish naval officer and explorer who led expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 18th century.

While the surname Nelsen is most commonly associated with Scandinavian origins, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong Scandinavian immigration and cultural influence, such as the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nelsen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nelsen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nelsen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nelsen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nelsen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nelsen, please contact us.

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