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Surname meaningNelson
“Son of Neil”
OriginEnglish / Scandinavian
TypePatronymic
First letterN
Where the name Nelson comes from
Nelson is a surname of English / Scandinavian origin. It is classed as patronymic, meaning “son of neil.” Neil comes from the Irish Niall.
Other patronymic surnames
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A surname shows how the name began, not a family line. Many unrelated families share a name, and spellings changed over time.