Nelson (surname)

This article is about the surname Nelson. For other uses, see Nelson (disambiguation).

Nelson is a family name. Within the United States, it is ranked as the 39th-most common surname of 88799 listed.

It is in origin a patronymic meaning "son of Nels" (Scandinavian) or "son of Nell" (Irish). Many derived from Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, also known as Lord Nelson, a British admiral known for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars.

A

• Adam Nelson, American shotputter
• Al Nelson, American football cornerback
• Alberta Nelson, American television actress
• Alexander Nelson, British sprint athlete
• Alice Nelson, fictional housekeeper to the Brady Bunch
• Alice Dunbar Nelson, American poet, journalist and political activist.
• Allison Nelson, mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
• Andrew Nelson, American missionary
• Ann Nelson, particle physicist
• Anthony Nelson, British Conservative politician
• Antonya Nelson, American author
• Arthur E. Nelson, American politician
• Azumah Nelson, boxer

B

• Baby Face Nelson
• Barry Nelson, American actor
• Barry Nelson (rugby league)
• Ben Nelson, U.S. Senator
• Bill Nelson (born 1942), U.S. senator for Florida
• Bill Nelson (musician) (born 1948), UK musician
• Billy Bass Nelson (born 1951), U.S. musician, member of the P-funk all stars
• Brad Nelson, Major League Baseball player
• Brendan Nelson (born 1958), Australian member for Bradfield and former Leader of the Opposition
• Brian Nelson (disambiguation)
• Bruce Nelson (historian)
• Bruce Nelson (naval architect)
• Bruce Jay Nelson, inventor
• Buck Nelson, UFO incident
• Byron Nelson, American PGA Tour golfer

C

• Carey Nelson, long-distance runner
• Charles P. Nelson (1877–1935), U.S admiral
• Cindy Nelson, American alpine ski racer
• Craig T. Nelson, American actor

D

• Darrin Nelson, American football player
• Dave Nelson, Major League Baseball player
• David Nelson (actor), American actor, appeared in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
• David Nelson (musician), American musician
• David Nelson (VC), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• David M. Nelson, college football coach
• Don Nelson, National Basketball Association head coach
• Donnie Nelson, general manager [sic]

E

• Earle Nelson, American serial killer.
• Ed Nelson, American actor
• Edmund Nelson, American football defensive lineman
• Edmund Nelson (clergyman)
• Edward Nelson, maths professor
• Edward William Nelson, American naturalist and ethnologist
• Emma Nelson fictional character on Degrassi: The Next Generation television series

F

• Foggy Nelson, fictional character
• Francis Nelson, "Legend of Hockey"
• Frank Nelson (disambiguation)
• Franklin Nelson, American figure skater
• Frederick Nelson, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering

G

• Gary Nelson (disambiguation)
• Garry Nelson, English footballer
• Gaylord Nelson, American Democratic politician
• Gene Nelson, American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.
• Gene Nelson (baseball)
• George Nelson (astronaut)
• George Nelson (designer)
• George Nelson, 1st Baron Nelson of Stafford
• Graham Nelson, British mathematician and poet
• Greg Nelson and Jenny Gardner, fictional characters
• Gunnar Nelson, American musician, singer, and songwriter

H

• Harold Nelson (illustrator)
• Harold George Nelson, Australian politician
• Harold "H" Nelson, English cycling coach
• Harriet Nelson, American singer and actress
• Harriman Nelson, fictional character in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
• Haywood Nelson, American actor
• Henry Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson of Stafford
• Holly Nelson, Canadian writer, poet, activist
• Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758-1805), British Vice-Admiral
• Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson (1823–1913), British politician
• Howard Nelson, Trinidadian ecologist and wildlife biologist
• Hugh Nelson (disambiguation)
• Hugh Nelson, Premier of Queensland
• Hugh Nelson (Canadian politician)

J

• Jameer Nelson, American professional basketball player
• James Nelson (disambiguation)
• Jane Nelson, Texas Senate member
• Jay Nelson, radio
• Jeff Nelson (disambiguation)
• Jeremiah Nelson, Massachusetts Representative
• Jerry Nelson, Muppet puppeteer
• Jez Nelson, jazz broadcaster and television producer
• Jill Nelson, African American journalist and novelist.
• Jimmy Nelson (disambiguation)
• Joe Nelson, relief pitcher in Major League Baseball
• John Nelson (disambiguation)
• Johnny Nelson, World Champion boxer
• Jordy Nelson, American professional football player
• Juanita Morrow Nelson, American activist and war tax resister
• Judd Nelson, American actor
• Judy Nelson, ex-partner of Martina Navratilova
• Julie Nelson (disambiguation)

K

• Karl Nelson, American football offensive tackle
• Kay Nelson, Hollywood costume designer
• Keith Nelson (disambiguation), several people
• Ken Nelson (British record producer), a British music producer
• Ken Nelson (United States record producer), United States country music producer
• Kent C. "Oz" 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
• Lauritz Nelson, American Medal of Honor recipient
• Lee Nelson (disambiguation), several people
• Leonard Nelson, German mathematician and philosopher
• Levi Nelson, Coolest person ever made!!!!!!!!!!!

M

• Marc Nelson, American singer

• Matthew Nelson, American singer/songwriter/musician
• Melody Nelson, fictional character
• Michael Nelson (disambiguation), several people including those named "Mike Nelson"
• Morley Nelson, falconer and educator

N

• Ned Nelson, American college baseball and basketball player
• Nikki Nelson, American country music singer.

O

• Olaf Frederick Nelson, founding leader of the Mau movement for Samoan independence
• Oliver Nelson, jazz musician
• Oscar Frederick Nelson, American Medal of Honor recipient
• Otto L. Nelson, Jr., US soldier
• Ozzie Nelson, American entertainer and band leader

P

• Paul Nelson (disambiguation)
• Peter Nelson, American actor
• Phyllis Nelson, American singer
• Prince (musician), Prince Rogers Nelson

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
• Richard Nelson (author), anthropologist and writer
• Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor
• Ricky Nelson (baseball)
• Rob Nelson (born 1964), former Major League Baseball first baseman
• Rob Nelson (reporter), American news reporter
• Rob Nelson (talk show host), American talk show host
• Robert Nelson (disambiguation)
• Rocky Nelson, American professional baseball player
• Roger D. Nelson, director of the Global Consciousness Project
• Ron Nelson, classical and popular music composer
• Rosemary Nelson, Irish Human Rights Lawyer
• Russ Nelson, American computer programmer
• Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
• Ruth Nelson, women’s volleyball coach at University of Iowa

S

• Sammy Nelson, Northern Ireland former football player
• Samuel Nelson (1792-1873), American attorney and Supreme Court justice
• Sandy Nelson, rock drummer
• Scott Nelson, New Zealand race walker
• Sean Nelson, British singer best known for her performances with Massive Attack
• Shara Nelson, singer and musician
• Shawn Nelson, tank rampage
• Simeon Nelson, Australian sculptor
• Simon Nelson-Cook, fictional character
• Steady Nelson, American musician
• Stephen L. Nelson, author
• Steve Nelson (Adult Industry News http://AINews.com founder)
• Steve Nelson (American football)
• Steve Nelson (vibraphonist)
• Stewart Nelson (disambiguation)
• 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
• Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738–1789), American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia
• Thomas Nelson Page (1853–1922), American writer
• Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson (1812–1873), American Congressman from Tennessee
• Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson
• Tim Blake Nelson, American director, writer, singer and actor
• Todd Nelson (disambiguation)
• Tommy Nelson (1917-1973), Major League Baseball player
• Tracy Nelson (actress), of Father Dowling Mysteries
• Tracy Nelson (singer)
• Trevor Nelson, English DJ and presenter

V

• Van Nelson (born 1945), American long-distance runner
• Vicki Nelson-Dunbar, tennis player

W

• Wallace Nelson, Australian politician
• Wally Nelson, American civil rights activist
• Walter Nelson-Rees, Cytogeneticist
• William Nelson (disambiguation)
• Willie Nelson (born 1933), U.S. guitarist and country singer
• Wolfred Nelson (1791-1863), mayor of Montreal, Quebec, Canada