Olsen
A Scandinavian patronymic meaning “son of Ole” or “son of Olaf.”
The #566 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,202 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Olsen is a patronymic surname built from the given name Ole, a common Scandinavian short form of Olaf (and in some areas also related to other Ole names). The ending -sen means “son,” so the name literally means “Ole’s son” or “Olaf’s son.” In English-language surname books, it is treated as a straightforward Scandinavian family name rather than a place-name or occupational name.
History
This surname is especially common in Denmark and Norway, and it also appears widely in Swedish and immigrant communities abroad. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname writers often grouped Olsen with the very common Scandinavian patronymics alongside Jensen and Hansen. In the United States it became familiar through Nordic immigration, and many related forms such as Olson and Olsson developed or were standardized in different languages and spellings.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because patronymic surnames were so common in Scandinavia, names like Olsen could become widespread independently in many unrelated families.
From the historical record
“O'LOUGHLIN J lan(n. OLSEN (Scand.) Ole's or Olaf's Soi« : v, the Appendix of Foreign Names. OLVER, V. Under Oliver, noting the Dan.- Norw. Olver. OLYETT app. = OU, for Oliver (q.v.) + the the Fr. dita. suff. -et. O'MAHONEY"! (Celt.) the Ir. O'Mathghamhna O'MAHONY J = Descendant of MAThgh- AMHUIN, i-e. the Bear.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Olsen
- Elizabeth Olsen (b. 1989)
- Mary-Kate Olsen (b. 1986)
- Ashley Olsen (b. 1986)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.