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 1,591
Labourer 150
Cotton Weaver 136
Agricultural Labourer 129
Domestic Servant 98
Coal Miner 94
Dress Maker 92
General Servant 78
House Keeper 69
Farm Servant 63
Tailor 59
Servant 55
Annuitant 50
Joiner 49
Blacksmith 43
Farm Labourer 42
Laundress 41
Carpenter 34
Farmers Son 30
Wife Of Above 29
Charwoman 29
No Occupation 28
Cotton Spinner 28
Stone Mason 28
Wife 25

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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