NameCensus.

UK surname

Nilsen

Patronymic surname meaning "son of Nils," a Scandinavian form of Nicholas, derived from the Greek "victory of the people."

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Nilsen surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, up from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH, Wirral and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nilsen is 230 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 430.8%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

2011

230 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nilsen had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 105 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Nilsen surname distribution map

The map shows where the Nilsen surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Nilsen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Nilsen over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 61 #29,103
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 105 #22,064
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 216 #17,257
1999 modern 226 #16,884
2000 modern 227 #16,792
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 211 #17,513
2004 modern 206 #17,883
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 207 #17,892
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 201 #18,584
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 227 #17,895
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

Back to top

Where Nilsens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Gateshead, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH, Wirral, Rochdale, Marchmont East and Sciennes and North East Lincolnshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH Inverclyde
2 Wirral 041 Wirral
3 Rochdale 014 Rochdale
4 Marchmont East and Sciennes City of Edinburgh
5 North East Lincolnshire 012 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Nilsen

These lists show first names that appear often with the Nilsen surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Nilsen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nilsen, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Nilsen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Nilsen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Nilsen is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nilsen is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nilsen falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nilsen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Nilsen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Nilsen

The surname Nilsen is of Norwegian origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name, derived from the Old Norse personal name "Nikulás," which in turn comes from the Greek name "Nikolaos," meaning "victory of the people."

The name Nilsen is widely found in various areas of Norway, particularly in the western and central regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents, where a person named Nikulás Nilsson is mentioned in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several Norwegian records, including the Icelandic Annals, where a man named Nilsen Arnason is referenced. During this time, the name was often spelled with variations such as Nilsson, Nielssen, or Nielsen, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Nils Henriksson Nilsen (c. 1510-1589), a Norwegian clergyman and author who played a significant role in the Reformation in Norway. His writings and translations of religious texts helped shape the development of the Norwegian language.

One of the most notable figures in Norwegian history with the Nilsen surname is Peter Andreas Nilsen (1737-1804), a Norwegian businessman and ship owner. He was instrumental in establishing the Norwegian whaling industry and contributed to the economic growth of the country during the late 18th century.

Another prominent individual was Nils Stockfleth Dahl Nilsen (1820-1904), a Norwegian philologist and professor at the University of Christiania (now the University of Oslo). He made significant contributions to the study of the Old Norse language and literature.

In the 20th century, Odd Nilsen (1901-1973) gained recognition as a Norwegian politician and member of the Norwegian Parliament. He served as the Minister of Finance and played a crucial role in shaping Norway's economic policies during the post-World War II era.

The surname Nilsen has also been associated with various place names in Norway, such as Nilsenfjellet (Nilsen Mountain) and Nilsengården (Nilsen Farm), further reinforcing its deep roots in the country's history and geography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Nilsen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nilsen surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 7 Nilsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.69x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 7 5.69x
Lancashire 7 1.55x
Kent 6 4.62x
Cheshire 5 5.95x
Durham 4 3.53x
Middlesex 4 1.05x
Devon 2 2.53x
Surrey 2 1.08x
Lincolnshire 1 1.64x
West Lothian 1 17.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 7 Nilsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.05x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 7 32.05x
Ashford 6 476.19x
Liverpool 6 21.89x
South Shields 4 396.04x
Spitalfields London 4 139.86x
Wallasey 4 1379.31x
Rotherhithe 2 42.55x
Birkenhead 1 14.95x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 27.93x
Borrowstounness 1 10000.00x
Great Grimsby 1 25.91x
Lundy Island 1 5000.00x
Plymouth Charles The 1 28.65x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Nilsen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alice 1
Harriett 1
Katy 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Nilsen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Nils 3
A. 2
George 2
Alfred 1
Anders 1
Andre 1
Benjamin 1
Erik 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Gunerio 1
Hans 1
Herman 1
Jocab 1
Johan 1
Karel 1
Nicola 1
Peter 1
Ric 1
Samuel 1
Sofus 1
Tarvalt 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Nilsen households.

FAQ

Nilsen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nilsen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Nilsen surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nilsen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Nilsen a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Nilsen surname mean?

Patronymic surname meaning "son of Nils," a Scandinavian form of Nicholas, derived from the Greek "victory of the people."

What does the Nilsen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nilsen bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.