Names / Nelson
Is Nelson a first name or a last name?
Nelson is both: a family name in some places and a given name in others. It is mostly a family name in the United Kingdom; mostly a given name in Brazil and Uruguay.
How to address someone called Nelson
- United States. Nelson is used both ways: about 424,958 people had it as a surname in the 2010 census, and 48,349 babies born between 1950 and 2017 were given it as a first name. Look at where it sits in the name and how the person signs.
- Brazil. Nelson is a given name. Hi Nelson on first-name terms; formally, Mr. or Ms. goes with the family name, not with Nelson.
- United Kingdom. Nelson is a family name, usually written last. Write Dear Mr. Nelson or Dear Ms. Nelson.
- Canada. Nelson is used both ways: 50% of people from Canada with this name in our data carry it as a family name. Look at where it sits in the name and how the person signs.
Not sure which part of a full name is which? Check the full name with the country where the person is based.
Nelson by country
People recorded in Wikidata who carry Nelson as a family name or as a given name, by country of citizenship (2,511 in total).
| Country | As family name | As given name | Family name share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 930 | 377 | 71% |
| Brazil | 1 | 206 | 0% |
| United Kingdom | 135 | 25 | 84% |
| Canada | 71 | 72 | 50% |
| Uruguay | 2 | 89 | 2% |
| Australia | 39 | 9 | 81% |
| Chile | 0 | 39 | 0% |
| New Zealand | 22 | 16 | 58% |
| Colombia | 0 | 35 | 0% |
| Portugal | 0 | 34 | 0% |
Wikidata covers notable people, so counts show how the name is used, not how many people carry it.
Nelson in the United States
- As a surname: about 424,958 people in the 2010 census, rank 43 among US surnames.
- As a first name: 48,349 babies born between 1950 and 2017, 1% of them girls.
Nelson as a given name: men or women?
About 0% of people with Nelson as a given name in Wikidata are women, and 1% of US babies given the name. This describes the name, not any one person: a title is usually a safe guess, but the full name without a title is always polite.
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