Olson
A Scandinavian surname meaning “son of Ole,” with Ole itself a short form of Olaf or a related Nordic name.
The #157 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,882 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Olson is a patronymic surname built from the given name Ole plus the Scandinavian son-ending -son, meaning “son of Ole.” Ole is a common Nordic short form ultimately connected with Old Norse names such as Óláfr (Olaf), though the exact personal-name pathway can vary by region. In this sense, Olson originally identified someone as the son of a man named Ole.
History
The surname is especially associated with Scandinavian naming traditions and became very common in Sweden, Norway, and Danish-influenced areas. It spread widely to North America through 19th- and early-20th-century immigration, where it remains one of the more familiar Scandinavian-American surnames. Spellings with -son and -sen often reflect regional and immigration-era variation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In the U.S., Olson is often treated as the Americanized counterpart of Scandinavian Olsen/Olsson spellings, so the same family line may appear under more than one form in records.
From the historical record
“Sin\on, ancestor of Sire Piers Tilliol of Blennerbassct t. Henry VJII. (Nioi.olson rnd Buru^, 121, -J-.l). The y.iuntrer brandies bore the name of De Blenn'->rh:i?set. Blessett, for 15lissett.”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States