Olsen (surname)

Olsen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈoˀlsn̩]) is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Ole". The surname Olesen (pronounced [ˈoːləsn̩]) has a similar origin. The Swedish parallel form is Olsson – "son of Ola". Danish and Norwegian immigrants to English-speaking countries often changed the spelling to Olson in order to accommodate English orthographic rules.

Notable people with the surname include:

Andrea Olsen (born 1961), American politician
Angel Olsen (born 1987), American singer.
Anton Olsen, Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient
Ben Olsen (born 1977), American soccer player
Bjørnar Olsen Norwegian archaeologist
Brian Olsen (born 1975), American mixed martial artist
Carsten Olsen, Danish plant ecologist and physiologist
Charles Olsen, American poet renowned for his provocative style and large body of works
Dorothy Olsen (1916–2019), American aircraft pilot and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs)
Elizabeth Olsen (born 1989), American actress
Eric Christian Olsen (born 1977), American actor
Frances Olsen (born 1945), American law professor at UCLA, feminist law scholar.
Gary Olsen (1957–2000), English actor
Greg Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
Gregory Olsen (born 1945), American entrepreneur and scientist, space tourist
Harold Olsen (1895–1953), American college sports coach
Helle Olsen, better known as Helle Helle, Danish writer born 1965
Hilde Gunn Olsen (born 1992), Norwegian footballer
Jens Olsen (1872–1945), Danish clockmaker and locksmith
John Olsen (born 1928), Australian artist
John Olsen, 42nd Premier of South Australia
Ken Olsen (1926–2011), American engineer, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation
Kirsten Olesen (born 1949), Danish actress
Kristoffer Olsen (1883–1948), a Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics
Larry Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
Lisa Olsen (born 1956), Canadian skydiver
Maria Olsen, South African film producer
Maria Olsen, New Zealand artist
Martin Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (born 1986), American actress twins
Merlin Olsen, Hall of Fame NFL American football player and TV color commentator
Michael Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
Moroni Olsen (1889–1954), American actor
Niels Olsen, original name of Cornelius Cruys, 17th century Norwegian-Dutch admiral in Russian service
Ole Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
Ollie Olsen (born 1958), Australian-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and sound designer.
Peder Olsen Walløe (1716–1793), Danish-Norwegian Arctic explorer
Penelope Diane Olsen, Australian ornithologist and author
Peter B. Olsen (1848–1926), American politician
Robin Olsen, (born 1990), Swedish football goalkeeper
Scott Olsen (born 1984), American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins
Súni Olsen, a Faroese football player
Susan Olsen (born 1961), American actress best known as Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch
Tava Olsen, New Zealand professor in supply chain management
Tillie Olsen (1912–2007), American writer, feminist, and political activist
Viktor Olsen (born 1924), Norwegian long-distance runner
Olsen Brothers, Danish rock/pop music duo

Fictional characters with the surname include:

Jimmy Olsen, a fictional character who appears in DC Comics' Superman stories

See also