Nelson (surname)

This article is about the surname Nelson. For other uses, see Nelson.

Nelson is a family name. Within the United States, it is ranked as the 39th-most common surname.^[1]

Origin

Nelson is a patronymic meaning "son of Nels" (Scandinavian) or "son of Nell" (Irish). Translated that means "son of the champion."

Notable persons named Nelson

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

• Aaron Thomas Nelson
• Adam Nelson
• Alberta Nelson
• Alexander Nelson
• Alice Nelson, fictional character
• Alice Dunbar-Nelson
• Allison Nelson
• Andrew Nelson
• Ann Nelson
• Anthony Nelson
• Antonya Nelson
• Arthur E. Nelson
• Azumah Nelson

B

• Baby Face Nelson
• Barry Nelson
• Barry Nelson (rugby league footballer)
• Ben Nelson
• Bill Nelson (politician) (born 1942), U.S. Senator for Florida
• Bill Nelson (musician) (born 1948), UK musician
• Billy Bass Nelson, (born 1951), U.S. musician, member of the P-funk all stars
• Brad Nelson
• Brendan Nelson (born 1958), Australian member for Bradfield and Defence Minister
• Bruce Nelson (naval architect)
• Bruce Nelson (historian)
• Bruce Jay Nelson
• Buck Nelson
• Byron Nelson

C

• Carey Nelson
• Charles P. Nelson (1877–1935), U.S admiral
• Christine Nelson
• Christopher Nelson
• Cindy Nelson
• Colette Nelson
• Craig T. Nelson

D

• Darrin Nelson
• Dave Nelson
• David Nelson (soldier), an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• David Nelson (actor), an American actor, appeared in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
• David Nelson (musician), an American musician
• David Nelson (reporter)
• David M. Nelson
• Don Nelson
• Donnie Nelson

E

• Earle Nelson
• Ed Nelson
• Edward Nelson
• Edward William Nelson
• Emma Nelson

F

• Foggy Nelson, fictional character
• Francis Nelson
• Frank Nelson
• Franklin Nelson (skater)
• Frederick Nelson

G

• Gary Nelson
• Garry Nelson
• Gail Nelson
• Gaylord Nelson
• Gene Nelson
• Gene Nelson (baseball)
• George Nelson (astronaut)
• George Nelson (designer)
• George Nelson, 1st Baron Nelson of Stafford
• Graham Nelson
• Greg and Jenny Nelson, fictional characters
• Gunnar Nelson

H

• Harold Nelson
• Harold "H" Nelson
• Harriet Nelson
• Harriman Nelson
• Haywood Nelson
• Henry Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson of Stafford
• Holly Nelson
• Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758-1805), British Vice-Admiral
• Howard Nelson
• Hugh Nelson
• Hugh Nelson (Canadian politician)

J

• Jameer Nelson
• James Nelson
• James C. Nelson
• James L. Nelson
• Jane Nelson
• Jason Nelson
• Jay Nelson
• Jeff Nelson (baseball player), a baseball player
• Jeff Nelson (hockey), an ice hockey player
• Jeff Nelson (musician), a rock musician
• Jeff Nelson (umpire), a baseball umpire
• Jeremiah Nelson
• Jerry Nelson
• Jesse Nelson (born 1987)
• Jez Nelson
• Jill Nelson
• Jimmy Nelson
• Joanne Nelson
• Joe Nelson
• Joey Nelson
• John Nelson:
  • John Nelson (baseball player)
  • John Nelson (conductor), American conductor
  • John Nelson (convert), 16th century English convert to Islam
  • John Nelson (physician), president of the American Medical Association
  • John Nelson (LAPD officer)
  • John Nelson (lawyer), Attorney General of the United States in the 1800s
  • John Nelson (martyr), Catholic priest and martyr (d. 1578)
  • John Allen Nelson, American actor
• Johnny Nelson
• Juanita Nelson
• Judd Nelson
• Judy Nelson
• Julie Nelson

K

• Karl Nelson
• Kay Nelson
• Ken Nelson
• Kent C. Nelson
• Kent "Oz" Nelson
• Kirk Roger Nelson or Kirk Nelson or Roger Nelson Artist from Trinidad & Tobago at http://www.rogerknelson.com
• Kirsten Nelson
• Knute Nelson
• Kristin Nelson

L

• Larry Nelson
• Lee Nelson
• Leonard Nelson

M

• Marc Nelson
• Mary Elizabeth Nelson
• Matthew Nelson
• Melody Nelson, fictional character
• Michael Nelson
• Michael J. Nelson, comedian and writer
• Michael R. Nelson (politician) of Carrboro, North Carolina, the first openly gay mayor elected in that state
• Mike Nelson:
  • Mike Nelson (artist), Turner Prize winner
  • Mike Nelson (MST3K), character played by Michael J. Nelson on Mystery Science Theater 3000
  • Mike Nelson, the fictional scuba diver (played by Lloyd Bridges) in American television adventure series Sea Hunt
• Morley Nelson

N

• Ned Nelson
• Nikki Nelson

O

• Olaf Frederick Nelson
• Oliver Nelson, jazz musician
• Oliver Evans Nelson, Jr., geneticist
• Otto L. Nelson, Jr.
• Ozzie Nelson

P

• Paul Nelson:
  • Paul Nelson (creationist)
  • Paul R. Nelson (Wisconsin politics), 2006 Republican nominee for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district.
• Prince (musician), Prince Rogers Nelson
• Peter Nelson
• Phyllis Nelson

R

• Ralph Nelson
• Ray Nelson
• Rebecca J. Nelson
• Richard Nelson (author), anthropologist and writer
• Richard K. Nelson
• Ricky Nelson
• Ricky Nelson (wrestler)
• Ricky Lee Nelson
• Robert Nelson
• Robert H. Nelson
• Roger D. Nelson
• Roger Kirk Nelson artist, singer, linguist originally from Trinidad & Tobago http://www.rogerknelson.com
• Ron Nelson
• Rosemary Nelson
• Russ Nelson
• Russell M. Nelson
• Ruth Nelson
• Ryan Nelson

S

• Sammy Nelson
• Samuel Nelson (1792-1873), American attorney and Supreme Court justice
• Sandy Nelson
• Sean Nelson
• Shara Nelson, British singer best known for her performances with Massive Attack
• Shawn Nelson
• Shawn Nelson (Ranger)
• Simeon Nelson
• Simon Nelson-Cook
• Steady Nelson
• Stephen L. Nelson
• Steve Nelson (American football)
• Steve Nelson (vibraphonist)
• Stewart Nelson
• Stuart Nelson
• Susan Richard Nelson

T

• Tara Nelson
• Ted Nelson
• Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738–1789), American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia
• Thomas Nelson Page (1853–1922), American writer
• Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson (1812–1873), American Congressman from Tennessee
• Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson
• Tim Blake Nelson
• Todd Nelson
• Tommy Nelson (1917-1973), Major League Baseball player
• Tracy Nelson (actress), of Father Dowling Mysteries
• Tracy Nelson (singer)
• Trevor Nelson
• Tyler Nelson, actor and dancer

V

• Vicki Nelson-Dunbar

W

• Wallace Nelson
• Wally Nelson
• Walter Nelson-Rees
• William Nelson (governor) (1711-1772) American Colonial governor of Virginia
• William Nelson (congressman) (1784-1869), U.S. Congressman for New York
• William "Bull" Nelson (1824-1862), Union army general in the American Civil War
• William Rockhill Nelson (1841-1915), U.S. journalist and publisher
• William L. Nelson (1875-1946), U.S. Congressman for Missouri
• William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson
• Willie Nelson (born 1933), U.S. guitarist and country singer
• Wolfred Nelson (1791-1863), Mayor of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

References

1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau; "Frequently Occurring First Names and Surnames From the 1990 Census, (Table) Name Files dist.all.last"; published May 9, 1995; <http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.all.last>