UK surname
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Nils," a Scandinavian form of Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."
In the 1881 census there were 233 people recorded with the Nilson surname, ranking it #11,648 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 95, ranked #31,782, down from #11,648 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nilson is 500 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 59.2%.
1881 census count
233
Ranked #11,648
Modern count
95
2016, ranked #31,782
Peak year
1891
500 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Nilson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Nilson surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 262 | #8,456 |
| 1861 | historical | 315 | #8,071 |
| 1881 | historical | 233 | #11,648 |
| 1891 | historical | 500 | #7,430 |
| 1901 | historical | 329 | #10,927 |
| 1911 | historical | 325 | #10,783 |
| 1997 | modern | 97 | #27,342 |
| 1998 | modern | 81 | #29,849 |
| 1999 | modern | 73 | #30,856 |
| 2000 | modern | 78 | #30,361 |
| 2001 | modern | 63 | #31,693 |
| 2002 | modern | 70 | #31,432 |
| 2003 | modern | 69 | #31,587 |
| 2004 | modern | 67 | #31,976 |
| 2005 | modern | 80 | #30,842 |
| 2006 | modern | 77 | #31,510 |
| 2007 | modern | 78 | #31,748 |
| 2008 | modern | 89 | #30,713 |
| 2009 | modern | 86 | #31,612 |
| 2010 | modern | 87 | #31,990 |
| 2011 | modern | 77 | #32,909 |
| 2012 | modern | 81 | #32,796 |
| 2013 | modern | 87 | #32,472 |
| 2014 | modern | 95 | #31,792 |
| 2015 | modern | 95 | #31,749 |
| 2016 | modern | 95 | #31,782 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Gateshead, Toxteth Park and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull Holy Trinity | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 4 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 5 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Nilson surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nilson, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Nilson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Nilson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Nilson is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nilson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Nilson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Nilson has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Nils," which is a shortened form of the name "Nikolaus" or "Nicholas." The suffix "-son" indicates that the name originally denoted "son of Nils."
In the early medieval period, the use of patronymic surnames, which identified a person as the son or daughter of their father, was a common practice in Scandinavian countries. The Nilson surname likely emerged during this time as a way to distinguish families and establish lineages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nilson surname can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. These literary works often mentioned individuals with patronymic surnames, reflecting the cultural significance of such naming conventions in Norse societies.
In Sweden, the Nilson surname has a long history, with records indicating its presence as early as the 16th century. Notable individuals with this surname include Carl Nilson Skänsk (1601-1662), a Swedish statesman and military leader, and Nils Nilson Cronstedt (1676-1741), a Swedish merchant and shipowner.
The Nilson surname also has a strong presence in Norway, where it can be traced back to the 17th century. One notable Norwegian bearer of the name was Peter Andreas Nilson (1837-1901), a pioneering Norwegian Lutheran pastor and theologian who played a significant role in the establishment of the Lutheran Free Church in Norway.
In the United States, the Nilson surname has been present since the early waves of Scandinavian immigration in the 19th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Nilson, a Swedish immigrant who settled in Minnesota in the 1850s and became a prominent farmer and community leader.
Other notable individuals with the Nilson surname include Roberta Nilson (1901-1995), an American artist and art educator; Lennart Nilson (1904-1980), a Swedish photographer and author known for his groundbreaking work on human embryology; and Ulf Nilson (1956-present), a Swedish businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded the successful software company Axis Communications.
While the Nilson surname has evolved over centuries and across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the early patronymic naming traditions of Scandinavia, where it emerged as a way to identify individuals as the sons of Nils or Nicholas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nilson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 37 Nilsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 37 | 1.37x |
| Lanarkshire | 24 | 3.27x |
| Cumberland | 22 | 11.24x |
| Ayrshire | 18 | 10.58x |
| Middlesex | 17 | 0.75x |
| Yorkshire | 16 | 0.71x |
| Durham | 14 | 2.07x |
| Nottinghamshire | 9 | 2.94x |
| Surrey | 9 | 0.81x |
| Kent | 8 | 1.03x |
| Dunbartonshire | 7 | 11.46x |
| Hampshire | 6 | 1.29x |
| Derbyshire | 5 | 1.41x |
| Northumberland | 5 | 1.48x |
| Cheshire | 4 | 0.80x |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 1.10x |
| Midlothian | 4 | 1.31x |
| Berkshire | 3 | 1.76x |
| Devon | 3 | 0.63x |
| Essex | 3 | 0.67x |
| Clackmannanshire | 2 | 10.66x |
| Dumfriesshire | 2 | 3.98x |
| Glamorgan | 2 | 0.51x |
| Perthshire | 2 | 1.96x |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 | 0.48x |
| East Lothian | 1 | 3.32x |
| Kincardineshire | 1 | 3.61x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0.47x |
| Roxburghshire | 1 | 2.43x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.26x |
| West Lothian | 1 | 2.92x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 16 Nilsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 196.56x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Nilson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 13 |
| Sarah | 9 |
| Elizabeth | 7 |
| Ellen | 6 |
| Eliza | 5 |
| Charlotte | 4 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Jane | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 |
| Maria | 3 |
| Ann | 2 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Anna | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Dora | 1 |
| Eliz.F.J. | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Emelia | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Hellen | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Isabilla | 1 |
| Julie | 1 |
| Louis | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| M. | 1 |
| M.E. | 1 |
| Margarat | 1 |
| Marrina | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Rosina | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Nilson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 10 |
| John | 8 |
| George | 7 |
| Robert | 6 |
| Thomas | 6 |
| James | 5 |
| Richard | 4 |
| Charles | 3 |
| Joseph | 3 |
| Alexander | 2 |
| Anders | 2 |
| Fred | 2 |
| Abraham | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 |
| August | 1 |
| C.B. | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Fredrick | 1 |
| G. | 1 |
| Gustow | 1 |
| Hateas | 1 |
| Henry | 1 |
| Jas. | 1 |
| Johan | 1 |
| Lonritz | 1 |
| Luke | 1 |
| Mark | 1 |
| N. | 1 |
| N.P. | 1 |
| Nicklas | 1 |
| Per | 1 |
| Per. | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Saml. | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| Thos. | 1 |
| Wilhelm | 1 |
| Willm. | 1 |
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 Nilson households.
FAQ
In 1881, 233 people were recorded with the Nilson surname. That placed it at #11,648 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016. That gives Nilson a modern rank of #31,782.
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Nils," a Scandinavian form of Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nilson bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.