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Paulsen History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Paulsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Scotland

The ancient Viking-Scottish name Paulsen is derived from the personal name Paul. This name, which is derived from the Norse name Pál, was very popular among the Northmen.

Early Origins of the Paulsen family

The surname Paulsen was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Paulsen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paulsen research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1456 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Paulsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paulsen Spelling Variations

The spellings of Scottish names dating from the medieval era often bear little resemblance to those seen today. They vary enormously because scribes in that time spelled according to their ears. Some spelling variations of the name Paulsen include Polson, Poulson, Poulsen, Poulsin, Poleson, Pole and many more.

Early Notables of the Paulsen family

More information is included under the topic Early Paulsen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paulsen Ranking

In the United States, the name Paulsen is the 2,883^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Paulsen migration to the United States +

The farms of Scottish settlers soon dotted the east coast of the colonies that would become the nations of the United States and Canada. Many of those migrants and their children went on to play important roles in the founding the great nations of North America. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Paulsen or a variant listed above, including:

Paulsen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jurgen Paulsen, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1642 2
Klaus Paulsen, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1662 2

Paulsen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Paulsen, who arrived in America in 1783 2

Paulsen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Otto Paulsen, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 2
Ave Kistine Paulsen, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1869 2
Iver Paulsen, who landed in Iowa in 1885 2
Mr. Jan Paulsen, aged 16, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 3
August Paulsen, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1894 2

Paulsen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William Paulsen, who landed in Alabama in 1923 2

Paulsen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Paulsen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Niels Christian Paulsen, (b. 1846), aged 26, Scandinavian farm labourer travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Paulsen (post 1700) +

Gary James Paulsen (1939-2021), American writer of young adult literature, best known for coming of age stories about the wilderness; he wrote more than 200 books and has written more than 200 magazine articles; he won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens
Patrick Layton "Pat" Paulsen (1927-1997), American comedian and satirist, best known for his roles on the Smothers Brothers
Robert "Rob" Fredrick Paulsen III (b. 1956), American voice actor, best known as the voice of Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Erik Paulsen, American politician, US Representative from Minnesota
Paul L. Paulsen, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Wyoming, 1916 5
Patrick Layton Paulsen (1927-1997), American politician, Candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1992 5
Louis L. Paulsen, American politician, Mayor of Coffeyville, Kansas, 1966-67 5
Lenore M. Paulsen, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Oregon State House of Representatives 45th District, 1996; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 2000 5
John T. Paulsen (1837-1889), American politician, Member of Nebraska State Senate, 1889 5
Ingvar Paulsen, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, 1918, 1919 5
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Paulsen family +

Bismarck

Harald Paulsen (1914-1941), German Bootsmaat Dienstpflicht. who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 6

SS Atlantic

P. Paulsen, Norweigian traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2059
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details