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Nelsons Family History

Nelsons Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Nelson, Elson, Melson, Kelson, Belson, Persons, Neeson, Nelon, Neason

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Nelsons family from?

You can see how Nelsons families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nelsons family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Nelsons families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 2 Nelsons families living in North Carolina. This was 100% of all the recorded Nelsons's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Nelsons families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nelsons 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 Nelsons ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nelsons. 40% of Nelsons men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Nelsons women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nelsons were Miner and Maid.

View Census Data for Nelsons | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    40%
  • Carpenter
    20%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Miner
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    34%
  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Maid
    34%

What Nelsons family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 384 census records available for the last name Nelsons. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nelsons census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Nelsons

Passenger Lists

There are 69 immigration records available for the last name Nelsons. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nelsons immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 47 military records available for the last name Nelsons. For the veterans among your Nelsons ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nelsons military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nelsons family history

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What is the average Nelsons lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nelsons 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nelsons

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