Paulsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Danish surname Paulsen is of patronymic origin; that is, it was created from the given name of the father of the original bearer of the name. The personal name Poul is a Danish form of the Latin name Paulus (in English Paul), which means "the little". This name was borne by the apostle Paul, who converted to Christianity around the year 35. In medieval Europe, people often named their children after biblical figures in hopes of invoking the protection of this figure.
Early Origins of the Paulsen family
The surname Paulsen was first found in Denmark where a Mattis Poulson, was a knight who lived during the fifteenth century. He was a native of Krakum, and died in 1477.
Early History of the Paulsen family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paulsen research. The year 1718 is included under the topic Early Paulsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Paulsen Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Poulsen, Poulson, Palleson, Paulsen, Povlsen and others.
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 2,883rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1
Paulsen migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
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