PAULSON
The surname Paulson is a patronymic name of English origin, arising from the use of the personal name Paul combined with the suffix -son, which denotes “son of”. The base name Paul itself is derived from the Latin Paulus, a word meaning “small” or “humble”. Consequently, the literal interpretation of Paulson is “son of Paul”, a construction that was common in medieval England for marking lineage.
Historical records show that the name first appears in English documents in the 13th century. An early instance is the entry of Haldanus Paulus in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk, dated 1182, during the reign of King Henry XI, a period in which Christian names became widely adopted following the influence of the Crusades and the propagation of saints’ cults. Over time, a number of spelling variants emerged—Polson, Poulson, Poulsom, and Poulston—reflecting regional pronunciation and orthographic practices.
While the root of the surname lies in England, its spread was facilitated by the migration of people from Scotland and the broader British Isles to continental Europe and North America. In Scotland, the name maintained its patronymic form, often written as Paulson without alteration. The Scandinavian addition of the suffix -son is also historically associated with the same meaning, and consequently the name has a strong presence in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, where it is one of the most common surnames in Sweden, ranking fourth in the national list with over fifty thousand bearers.
In addition to the English and Scandinavian variants, the surname appears in numerous forms adapted to other linguistic contexts. These include Paulsen, Paulsson, Pauelsen, Pålsson, and Polson, among others. The name has also been moderately common in countries with significant Scandinavian diaspora, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, the surname is within the top one thousand names and is especially frequent in the Upper‑Midwest and Pacific‑Northwest regions, where English‑speaking settlers intermingled with Scandinavian immigrants. In Canada, its prevalence is notable but not as high as in its home nations.
Across all of its occurrences, the surname Paulson has remained a straightforward indicator of lineage, linking bearers to an ancestor named Paul. The name’s longevity and variation reflect both its ancient Latin roots and the historical movements of English‑speaking and Scandinavian peoples throughout the world, solidifying its place in modern onomastic records.
Typical given names associated with the Paulson surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- Donald
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Amanda
- Christine
- Emma
- Gemma
- Georgina
- Jane
- Jayne
- Julie
- Katherine
- Margaret
- Naomi
- Natalie
- Sarah
- Valerie
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Paulson in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Paulson are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jaffa Cake.
There are approximately 607 people named Paulson in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around nine in a million people in Britain are named Paulson.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Paulson
- Sarah Paulson - American film, stage, and television actress
- Webster Paulson - (1837 to 1887)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.