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Nielsen Family History

Nielsen Surname Meaning

Danish, Norwegian, and North German: patronymic from the personal name Niels, a shortened form of Nikolaus (see Nicholas).

Compare Nielson, Neilsen, Nelsen, Nilsen, and Nilson.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Nielsen family from?

You can see how Nielsen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nielsen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Nielsen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 33 Nielsen families living in New Brunswick. This was about 56% of all the recorded Nielsen's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Nielsen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nielsen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Nielsen ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Nielsen. 74% of Nielsen men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Nielsen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    74%
  • Gardener
    16%
  • Laborer
    11%

What Nielsen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 111,000 census records available for the last name Nielsen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nielsen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Nielsen

Passenger Lists

There are 181,000 immigration records available for the last name Nielsen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nielsen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Nielsen. For the veterans among your Nielsen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nielsen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nielsen family history

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What is the average Nielsen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Nielsen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Nielsen in 1940 was 40, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nielsen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nielsen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Nielsen family tree

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