Origins of the Nelson surname

About the Nelsons

We have a total of 216025 records for people with the last name Nelson.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Nelsons.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Nelson family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1627North West 452Isle of Man 69Yorkshire 1985East Midlands 287West Midlands 235East 534London 3965South East 642South West 296South Wales 71Mid Wales 30West Wales 6North Wales 26Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Nelsons lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    77,000 Nelson Travel & migration records
    130,000 Nelsons found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Nelson

    How common is your surname?

    245th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Nelson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1539.

    Who were Nelsons most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Nelsons.

    What are the most common Nelson first names?

    John

    William

    Mary

    Elizabeth

    Our tell us the names of Nelson family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Nelsons

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Common female occupations for Nelsons in 1921

    Dressmaker

    560

    Cotton Weaver

    493

    Domestic Servant

    352

    General Servant Domestic

    285

    Housekeeper

    275

    Common male occupations for Nelsons in 1921

    Farm Hands

    902

    Coal Miner

    895

    Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

    720

    General Farmers

    527

    General Labourer

    517

    We found over 260,000 family trees with the Nelson surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Nelsons.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Nelson family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname