Nielsen (surname) explained

Nielsen (in Danish pronounced as /ˈne̝lsn̩/) is a Danish patronymic surname, literally meaning son of Niels, Niels being the Danish version of the Greek male given name Greek, Modern (1453-);: Νικόλαος, Nikolaos (cf. Nicholas). It is the most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 4% of the population,^[1] and is also in use in the Faroe Islands. It is also used in Norway, although the forms Nelsen and Nilsen are more common.^[2] In Sweden the parallel form is Nilsson. The frequent occurrence of Nielsen as a surname outside Denmark is due to emigration.^[3] Immigrants to English-speaking countries sometimes changed the spelling to Neilsen, Neilson, Nelsen, Nelson, or Nielson.^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Notable people with this name include:

• Alice Nielsen (1872–1943), American singer
• Allan Nielsen (born 1971), Danish football player
• Amaldus Nielsen (1838–1932), Norwegian painter
• Anders Christian Nielsen, also known as A. C. Nielsen, (1848–1929), Danish community founder, Junction City, Oregon
• Anders Peter Nielsen (1867–1950), Danish shooter
• Arthur Nielsen (1897–1980), American market analyst
• Asta Nielsen (1881–1972), Danish actress
• August Nielsen (1877–1956), Norwegian architect
• Axel Nielsen (chess player) (1914–2004), Danish chess master
• Benny Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Brigitte Nielsen (born 1963), Danish actress
• Carl Nielsen (1865–1931), Danish composer
• Christopher Nielsen (born 1963), Norwegian comics artist
• Claus Nielsen (born 1964), Danish former footballer
• Claus Børge Nielsen (born 1961), Danish boxer
• Connie Nielsen (born 1965), Danish actress
• Dane Nielsen, Australian rugby league footballer
• David Nielsen (born 1976), Danish footballer
• Ebbe Nielsen (1950–2001), Danish entomologist
• Eigil Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Erik Charles Nielsen (born 1981), American actor and comedian
• Erik Nielsen (1924–2008), former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, brother of Leslie
• E. Verner Nielsen (1899–1981), Danish chess master
• Frans Nielsen (born 1984), Danish Ice Hockey player
• Frederik Nielsen (born 1983), Danish tennis player
• Frida Sanggaard Nielsen (born 1998), Danish rower
• Gunnar Nielsen (athlete) (1928–1985), Danish athlete, former world record-holder over 1500 metres
• Gunnar Nielsen (footballer born 1986), Faroese football player
• Gunnar Guillermo Nielsen, Argentine football player
• Hans Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Harald Nielsen (1941–2015) former Danish footballer
• Hartvig Nielsen (1908–unknown), Danish chess player
• Håvard Nielsen (born 1993), Norwegian footballer
• Henry Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Holger Nielsen (1866–1955), Danish Olympic competitor in various sports
• Holger Bech Nielsen (born 1941), Danish theoretical physicist
• Inga Nielsen (1946–2008), Danish soprano
• Jacob Stolt-Nielsen Jr. (1931–2015), Norwegian entrepreneur
• Jakob Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jennifer A. Nielsen (born 1971), American author
• Jeppe Nielsen (born 1974), Danish freestyle swimmer
• Jerri Nielsen (1952–2009), American physician
• Jimmy Nielsen (born 1977), Danish footballer
• Joachim Nielsen (1964–2000; better known as Jokke), Norwegian rock musician and poet
• John Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jonatan Nielsen (born 1993), Swedish professional ice hockey
• Juanita Nielsen (1937–1975), Australian publisher
• Julius Nielsen (1901–1981), Danish chess master
• Kay Nielsen (1886–1957), Danish "golden age" illustrator
• Kai Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Kai Peter Anthon Nielsen (1906–1988), better known as Kai Ewans, was a Danish jazz musician
• Kirstjen Nielsen (born 1972), American government official, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and United States Secretary of Homeland Security
• Kurt Nielsen (1930–2011), Danish former tennis player
• Laviai Nielsen (born 1996), British athlete
• Leslie Nielsen (1926–2010), Canadian-born American film actor
• Lina Nielsen (born 1996), British athlete
• Lone Drøscher Nielsen (born 1964), Danish wildlife conservationist
• Ludolf Nielsen (1876–1939), Danish composer, violinist, conductor and pianist
• Maria Nielsen (1882–1931), Danish historian and gymnasium headmistress
• Marichen Nielsen (1921–2014), Danish politician
• Matthew Nielsen (born 1978), former Australian basketball player
• Michael Nielsen (born 1974), Australian-American quantum physicist and science writer
• Nicolai Niels Nielsen (1777–1854), Norwegian priest and politician
• Niels Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen (born 1965), Norwegian business leader
• Nielsine Nielsen (1850–1916), the first female academic and physician in Denmark
• Norm Nielsen (1934–2020), American magician and businessman
• Olivia Nielsen (1852–1910), Danish trade unionist and politician
• Otto Nielsen (1909–1982), Norwegian songwriter, revue writer, cabaret singer and radio personality
• Palle Nielsen (chess player) (1929–1987), Danish chess master
• Preben Nielsen, Danish wheelchair curler
• Renata Nielsen (born 1966), Danish long jumper
• Richard Nielsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist of the American rock band Cheap Trick
• Roy Nielsen (1916–1945), Norwegian resistance member during World War II
• Sanna Nielsen (born 1984), Swedish-born singer
• Signe Nielsen, American landscape architect
• Skylar Nielsen (born 1975), American film director
• Stephanie Risdal Nielsen (born 1991), Danish curler
• Terese Nielsen (born 1966), American fantasy artist and illustrator.
• Tom Nielsen, Danish curler
• Tove Nielsen (born 1941), Danish politician
• Valdemar Nielsen (1879–1954), Danish Olympic cyclist
• Walter M. Nielsen (1900–1981), American physicist
• Yngvar Nielsen (1843–1916), Norwegian historian

See also

• • Neilsen (disambiguation)
• Neilson (name)
• Nielsen (disambiguation)
• Nielson
• Nilsen

Notes and References

1. Web site: Thisgaard . Julie Kragh . Her er Danmarks mest populære efternavne . livsstil.tv2.dk . 16 January 2018 . da . 19 August 2024.
2. http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/navn/index.html
3. http://www.danskernesnavne.navneforskning.ku.dk/Personnavne.asp University of Copenhagen – Name Research Section
4. Book: Hendee, D.L. . 1886: A Danish-American Family Saga . Prairie Wind Books . 1986 . 978-0-9616585-0-2 . 19 August 2024 . 144.
5. Book: Coleman, N.L. . Veka . O. . A Handbook of Scandinavian Names . University of Wisconsin Press . UPCC book collections on Project MUSE . 2010 . 978-0-299-24833-8 . 19 August 2024 . 38-39.
6. Book: Hanks, P. . Dictionary of American Family Names: 3-Volume Set . Oxford University Press, USA . 2003 . 978-0-19-508137-4 . 19 August 2024 . 59.
7. Book: Smith, E.C. . American Surnames . Genealogical Publishing Company . 1986 . 978-0-8063-1150-0 . 19 August 2024 . 30.