Last Names - DETAILED INFO. on Meaning, and Origin!!?

Question

My last name is Olson, I want to know more about our family name and detailed meanings and origins. I know that Demark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Netherlands play parts into it, but give me a proffesional answer! Please Help! Thanks!

Answer 1

oh my! the son of Ols is so common,,,, the "son of" was so common in Scandinavia, I read an article one of those countries was allowing free name changes a few years ago.

Here is an article you may find interesting:

http://www.last-names.net/Articles/Origin.asp

Definition: From the Old Norse "Oleifr," meaning "son of Olaf," or ancestor's relic.

Surname Origin: Scandinavian

Alternate Surname Spellings: OLSEN

You may want to redirect your question here:
http://genealogy.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://genforum.genealogy.com/olson/

Answer 2

Olsson, Olson, Olsen etc are shorter forms of Olofsson, Olafsen etc, all meaning "son of Olof (Olaf, Olaus etc)". Olsson is a very common name in Sweden. On the top 100 list it rates 7 (see http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____31063.asp ). It's usually spelled with a double 's', the first one a genitive mark, the second one the first letter in the word "son". Since this type of names are so very common in Sweden, people sometimes changed the spelling to reduce the risk of confusion, or just to make the name stand out a little more. When Scandinavians emigrated, they often dropped the first 's' in accordance to the naming or spelling customs of the new country.

There are many versions of Olof/Olaf - see Nordic Names: Olaf at http://www.nordicnames.de/pojk_o/Olaf.html
In Sweden, the name has been used since the early Middle Ages. "Olle" is a very common name, short for Olof. In Norway, Olaf / Olav it is a traditional royal name. It means "descendant".
First element (O-): is Ancient Norse anu = 'ancestor'
Last element (-laf): is Ancient Norse laibaR = 'heir, descendant'

All Scandinavian names ending with -son or -sen are patronyms, i.e. personal names based on the name of one's father. Patronyms aren't inherited. Erik Olsson's son's last name would be Eriksson. Girls also inherited their father's name, so Erik Olsson's daughter's last name would be Eriksdotter (Erik's daughter). Nobility in Scandinavia had family names for last names, but ordinary people had patronymic names, names composed by elements taken from nature (such as Lindgren, "linden bough") or placenames. Naming custom for soldiers was very special. Their last name could be Munter, Tapper, Glad (merry, brave, glad).

It's only in the early 20th century that patronyms finally changed from having been personal names to becoming family names, inherited alike to son and daughter.

Answer 3

www.Ancestry.com .

make sure that your last name has always been spelled the same . the spelling on my last was spelled 6 different way before they picked one spelling.