Explore the Family Name Nelson
The meaning of Nelson
1. 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. 2. 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. History: The Nelson name was an important one in 18th-century VA, starting with Thomas ‘Scotch Tom’ Nelson, who emigrated to VA at the close of the 17th century from Penrith, Cumbria, where the Nelsons were numerous. Scotch Tom settled c.1700 at Yorktown, VA, where he became a successful merchant and landholder. His son was sheriff and a member of the VA Council, and his grandson, Thomas Nelson (1738–89), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was governor of VA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nelson in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Nelson" has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was the 40th most common surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to 43rd place, marking a change of -7.5. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Nelson surname increased by approximately 3.09%, from 412,236 in 2000 to 424,958 in 2010. However, as a proportion per 100,000 people, the presence of the Nelson surname decreased by 5.73% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40 | #43 | -7.5% |
| Count | 412,236 | 424,958 | 3.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 152.81 | 144.06 | -5.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nelson
In terms of ethnic identity, the distribution of the Nelson surname across different groups saw some notable changes between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 31.37%, while those identifying as having two or more races grew by 34.23%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Nelsons who identified as Hispanic experienced the greatest increase, rising by 51.79%. Conversely, the percentage of white individuals with the Nelson surname declined slightly, from 80.29% in 2000 to 77.66% in 2010. Those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw minor increases of 6.97% and 6.42% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.29% | 77.66% | -3.28% |
| Black | 14.93% | 15.97% | 6.97% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 2.55% | 51.79% |
| Two or More Races | 1.49% | 2% | 34.23% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.09% | 1.16% | 6.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.67% | 31.37% |
Nelson 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 Nelson is British & Irish, which comprises 40.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.7%) and Scandinavian (16.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.2% |
| French & German | 22.7% |
| Scandinavian | 16.1% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Nelson
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 Nelson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 76.80% |
What Nelson 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 Nelson is I-P109, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-P109 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Anderson, Peterson, Johnson, Hansen, Jensen, Hanson, Olson, Smith, Christensen, Larsen.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Nelson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men
If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.
Your 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 Nelson 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.
"Nelson" Surname 41.3%
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.
"Nelson" Surname 26.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Nelson" Surname 21.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Nelson" Surname 35.9%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Nelson?
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 Nelson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition