Nelson (surname)
Nelson is a surname. Within the United States, it is ranked as the 39th-most common surname of 88799 listed.
The history of the name Nelson begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of British. It is derived from a patronymic name created from the given name "Nell," or for the Irish, "Niall." The name is also listed as a baptismal name "the son of Eleanor" from the nickname "Nell." Many derived from Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, also known as Lord Nelson, a British admiral known for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars.
Nelson is also an Americanized version of common Swedish surname Nilsson.
Notable persons named Nelson
A
- Adam Nelson, American shotputter
- Al Nelson, American football cornerback
- Alberta Nelson, American television actress
- Alexander Nelson, British sprint athlete
- Alice Dunbar Nelson, American poet, journalist and political activist
- Allison Nelson, mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
- Andrew Nelson
- Ann Nelson, particle physicist
- Anthony Nelson
- Antonya Nelson, American author
- Arthur E. Nelson, American politician
- Aven Nelson, American botanist
- Azumah Nelson, boxer
B
- Baby Face Nelson, best-known alias of American bank robber Lester Joseph Gillis
- Barry Nelson, American actor
- Barry Nelson
- Ben Nelson, US senator
- Benjamin Nelson, American sociologist
- Bill Nelson
- Billy Bass Nelson, US musician, member of the P-funk all stars
- Bobbie Nelson, country and jazz pianist, sister of Willie Nelson
- Bobby Nelson former professional wrestler and businessman
- Brad Nelson, Major League Baseball player
- Brendan Nelson, Australian member for Bradfield and former Leader of the Opposition
- Brian Nelson
- Bruce Nelson
- Buck Nelson, American farmer who claimed to have encountered a UFO and its crew
- Byron Nelson, American PGA Tour golfer
C
- Carey Nelson, long-distance runner
- Charles Gregory Nelson
- Charles P. Nelson, US admiral
- Cindy Nelson, American alpine ski racer
- Clara Nelson, married name of Clarissa Haili, better known as Hilo Hattie, Hawaiian entertainer
- Cody Nelson, Australian rugby league player
- Colette Nelson, IFBB American professional bodybuilder
- Colleen Nelson, Australian cancer research scientist
- Conrad Nelson, British actor, composer and director
- Corey Nelson, American football linebacker
- Craig T. Nelson, American actor
D
- Darrin Nelson, American football player
- Dave Nelson, Major League Baseball player
- David Nelson, including people named Dave Nelson
- Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment
- Don Nelson, National Basketball Association head coach
- Donnie Nelson, general manager
E
- Earle Nelson, American serial killer
- Ed Nelson, American actor
- Edmund Nelson , American football player and television commentator
- Edmund Nelson , father of Horatio Nelson
- Edward Nelson, American mathematics professor
- Edward Nelson, Texian soldier
- Edward Nelson , British invertebrate zoologist and polar explorer
- Edward William Nelson, American naturalist and ethnologist
- Erven T. Nelson, American lawyer and politician.
- Esther Nelson, Manx poet
F
- Francis Nelson
- Frank Nelson
- Franklin Nelson, American figure skater
- Frederick Nelson, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering
G
- Gail S. Nelson, American mathematician
- Gary Nelson
- Garry Nelson, English footballer
- Gaylord Nelson, American Democratic politician
- Gene Nelson, American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director
- Gene Nelson , American baseball player
- George Nelson , American astronaut
- George Nelson , American designer
- George Nelson, 1st Baron Nelson of Stafford
- Graham Nelson, British mathematician and poet
- Gunnar Nelson , Icelandic martial artist and professional fighter
- Gunnar Nelson , American musician, singer, and songwriter
- Guy Nelson, English cricketer
H
- Harold Nelson
- Harold George Nelson, Australian politician
- Harold "H" Nelson, English cycling coach
- Harriet Nelson, American singer and actress
- Harris Nelson, Australian businessman and politician
- Haywood Nelson, American actor
- Henry Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson of Stafford
- Henry Addison Nelson, Presbyterian clergyman
- Henry C. Nelson, New York politician
- Holly Nelson, Canadian writer, poet, activist
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, British vice-admiral
- Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson, British politician
- Howard Nelson
- Hugh Nelson
I
- Ira Schreiber Nelson, American botanist
J
- Jameer Nelson, American professional basketball player
- James Nelson
- Jane Nelson, Texas Senate member
- Jeff Nelson
- Jeremiah Nelson, Massachusetts Representative
- Jerry Nelson, Muppet puppeteer
- Jesy Nelson, member of the British girl group Little Mix
- Jez Nelson, jazz broadcaster and television producer
- Jill Nelson, American journalist and novelist.
- Jimmy Nelson
- J. J. Nelson, American football wide receiver
- Joe Nelson, relief pitcher in Major League Baseball
- John Nelson
- Johnny Nelson, world champion boxer
- Jordy Nelson, American professional football player
- Joseph S. Nelson, American/Canadian ichthyologist
- Juanita Morrow Nelson, American activist and war tax resister
- Judd Nelson, American actor
- Judy Nelson, ex-partner of Martina Navratilova
- Julie Nelson
K
- Karl Nelson, American football offensive tackle
- Katy Nelson, Hollywood costume designer
- Keith Nelson, several people
- Ken Nelson, British music producer
- Ken Nelson, US country music producer
- Kent C. Nelson, CEO United Parcel Service
- Kirsten Nelson, American actress
- Knute Nelson, 12th Governor of Minnesota
- Kristin Nelson, American primitive painter and author
L
- Larry Nelson, American professional golfer
- Lauren Nelson, American beauty pageant contestant
- Lauritz Nelson, American Medal of Honor recipient
- Lee Nelson
- Leonard Nelson, German mathematician and philosopher
- Lori Nelson, American actress
- Lukas Nelson, American musician
- Luke Nelson, American baseball pitcher
- Luke Nelson
M
- Marc Nelson, American singer
- Marilyn Nelson, American poet, translator, and children's book author
- Matthew Nelson, American singer, songwriter, and musician
- Michael Nelson, including those named Mike Nelson
- Morley Nelson, falconer and educator
N
- Ned Nelson, American college baseball and basketball player
- Nick Nelson, American football player
- Nikki Nelson, American country music singer
- Nihal Nelson, Sri Lankan music singer
O
- Olaf Frederick Nelson, founding leader of the Mau movement for Samoan independence
- Olive Nelson, first Pacific Island graduate of the University of Auckland
- Oliver Nelson, jazz musician
- Omaima Nelson, former model and nanny, imprisoned for cannibalism and murder
- Oscar Frederick Nelson, American Medal of Honor recipient
- Otto L. Nelson, Jr., US soldier
- Ozzie Nelson, American entertainer and band leader
P
- Paul Nelson
- Peter Nelson, American actor
- Phyllis Nelson, American singer
- Picasso Nelson, American football player
- Polly Nelson, lawyer
- Prince Nelson, American singer
Q
- Quenton Nelson, American football player
R
- Ralph Nelson, American movie and television director, producer, writer, and actor
- Ray Nelson, science fiction author and cartoonist
- Rebecca J. Nelson, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, Plant Breeding and International Agriculture at Cornell University
- Reeves Nelson, American basketball player
- Reggie Nelson, American football free safety
- Richard Nelson, anthropologist and writer
- Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor
- Ricky Nelson
- Riki R. Nelson, American artist
- Rob Nelson , former Major League Baseball first baseman
- Rob Nelson, American news reporter
- Rob Nelson, American talk show host
- Robert Nelson
- Rocky Nelson, American professional baseball player
- Roger D. Nelson, director of the Global Consciousness Project
- Ron Nelson, classical and popular music composer
- Ron Nelson, Canadian hip hop and reggae DJ and producer
- Rosemary Nelson, Irish human rights lawyer
- Roy Nelson
- Russ Nelson, American computer programmer
- Russell M. Nelson, president of the LDS Church
- Ruth Nelson, women’s volleyball coach at University of Iowa
S
- Sammy Nelson, Northern Ireland former football player
- Samuel Nelson, American attorney and Supreme Court justice
- Sandy Nelson, rock drummer
- Scott Nelson, New Zealand race walker
- Sean Nelson, American singer, frontman of Harvey Danger
- Shane Nelson
- Shara Nelson, singer and musician
- Shawn Nelson
- Sid Nelson, English footballer
- Sidney Nelson, English composer
- Simeon Nelson, Australian sculptor
- Simon Nelson, mass murderer
- Steady Nelson, American musician
- Stephen L. Nelson, author
- Steve Nelson
- Steve Nelson
- Stewart Nelson, American mathematician and programmer
- Stuart Nelson, English professional footballer
- Susan Richard Nelson, American lawyer and judge
T
- Tara Nelson, Canadian television journalist and news anchor
- Ted Nelson, American sociologist and philosopher
- Ted S. Nelson, Guamanian politician
- Telena Nelson, Guamanian politician
- Thomas Nelson, including Tom and Tommy Nelsons
- Tim Blake Nelson, American director, writer, singer and actor
- Todd Nelson
- Tommy Nelson , Major League Baseball player
- Tracy Nelson, of Father Dowling Mysteries
- Tracy Nelson
- Trevor Nelson, British DJ and presenter
V
- Van Nelson, American long-distance runner
- Vicki Nelson-Dunbar, tennis player
W
- Wallace Nelson, Australian politician
- Wally Nelson, American civil rights activist
- Walter Nelson-Rees, cytogeneticist
- Wendy Nelson
- William Nelson
- Willie Nelson, American guitarist and country singer
- Wolfred Nelson, mayor of Montreal, Quebec, Canada