Neilson Last Name: Meaning and Heraldic Roots

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

Meaning of the name

People called Neilson share their surname's story with Nelson, its better-known spelling. Name scholars give the meaning as “Son of Neil or Nell”.

A variant of Nelson

Before spelling was fixed, Nelson was also written Neilson. Other spellings include Nelsen and Nilsen.

Get the complete Neilson report, with a museum-style coat of arms.