Explore the Family Name Neilson
The meaning of Neilson
1. English and Scottish: variant of Nielson 1, or an Anglicized form of McNeil. 2. English: variant of Nelson. 3. Americanized form of Swedish Nilsson or Danish, Norwegian, and North German Nielsen (compare Neilsen) or Nilsen. Compare also Nelson and Nielson.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Neilson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the Neilson surname has slightly decreased in the United States from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5114th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 5319th rank, marking a decrease of around 4%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual number of individuals bearing the name increased during this period, rising from 6297 in 2000 to 6553 in 2010, indicating an increase of approximately 4%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,114 | #5,319 | -4.01% |
| Count | 6,297 | 6,553 | 4.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.33 | 2.22 | -4.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Neilson
Analyzing the same Decennial U.S. Census data for the ethnic identity of those with the Neilson surname reveals some interesting patterns. The majority of Neilsons identified as White, with that group comprising 94.35% in 2000 and 92.34% in 2010. However, there were notable increases in other groups over this decade: the Hispanic population grew by nearly 93%, the Black population by over 25%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native population by 60%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Neilsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased slightly, while those identifying with two or more races increased by about 16%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.35% | 92.34% | -2.13% |
| Black | 1.94% | 2.43% | 25.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.22% | 2.35% | 92.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.71% | 15.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.67% | 0.61% | -8.96% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.56% | 60% |
Neilson ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Neilson is British & Irish, which comprises 57.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.7%) and Scandinavian (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.3% |
| French & German | 19.7% |
| Scandinavian | 6.5% |
| Other | 16.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Neilson
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Neilson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.60% |
What Neilson haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Neilson is R-Z282, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z282 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lane, Johns, Carpenter, Lloyd, Martens, Cochran, Grey, Shepherd, Price, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Neilson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Neilson have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Neilson" Surname 38.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Neilson" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Neilson" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Neilson" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Neilson?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Neilson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition