Where Does the Poulsen Surname Come From?

Poulsen is a branch of the Paulsen name tree. The family name meaning is “From Paulus, "small"”, the same as for Paulsen.

Family crest and blazon

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Paulsen surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

Poulsen and Paulsen

Spelled with “o” instead of “a”, Poulsen shows how the same name was heard and written differently. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them. Related forms: Povlsen, Poulson and Paulssen.

According to the 2010 US Census, the Poulsen surname had 3,877 bearers. It sits among the 10,000 most common last names in the country. Get the complete Poulsen report, with a museum-style coat of arms.