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Nelson Family History

Nelson Surname Meaning

English: patronymic from the personal name Nell or Nele either of which might be a pet form of Elias or less commonly of Niel (from Latin Nigellus). See also Neal.

Americanized form of Swedish Nilsson and also of the Danish, Norwegian, and North German cognates Nielsen and Nilsen (compare Nelsen).

Compare also Neilson and Nielson.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Nelson family from?

You can see how Nelson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nelson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nelson families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 328 Nelson families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Nelson's in USA. New York had the highest population of Nelson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nelson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Nelson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nelson. 16% of Nelson men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Nelson women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nelson were Carpenter and Housewife.

View Census Data for Nelson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Nelson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Nelson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nelson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Nelson

Passenger Lists

There are 287,000 immigration records available for the last name Nelson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nelson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 379,000 military records available for the last name Nelson. For the veterans among your Nelson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nelson military records

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