Nelson Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Nelson Name Meaning: A patronymic name from the medieval personal name 'nel' or 'neal','son of Neil','champion'.

The name is of medieval origin.The name was also adopted by Norseman.

Discover how your Nelson ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Nelson Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Nelson family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 978
Agricultural Labourer 165
House Servant 137
At Home 116
Labourer 88
Dress Maker 69
Servant 55
Coal Miner 54
Farm Labourer 53
House Keeper 52
Annuitant 47
Tailor 40
General Servant 36
Stone Mason 35
Shoe Maker 32
Pauper 31
Farmers Son 29
Farm Servant 26
Power Loom Weaver 26
Joiner 24
Scholar At Home 23
Blacksmith 23
Errand Boy 22
Gardener 21
Weaver 21

Nelson Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Nelson 100% 86,357
2 Nilson 83% 4,551
3 Neilson 86% 3,894
4 Nielsen 71% 734
5 Nielson 86% 597
6 Nalson 83% 369
7 Nilsen 67% 198
8 Nealson 86% 152
9 Nolson 83% 141
10 Nellson 86% 119
11 Nulson 83% 109

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The surname Nelson is the most popular version of all its varients

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