Poulson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Scotland
Ireland

The story of the Poulson family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Poulson was derived from the personal name Paul. This name, which is derived from the Norse name Pál, was very popular among the Northmen. The "son" suffix typically denotes "son of Paul." 1

"The name Paul was a favourite one among the Norse, and hence its popularity in Cathanesia." 1

Early Origins of the Poulson family

The surname Poulson was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century.

Some of the first records include "Magnus Paulsoun, tacksman of the Bull ('headhouse,' ON. bol, farm) of Halkisnes, 1502 (REO., p. 419). James Palsone was part proprietor of Grindlie and Arnie in 1618. "From that time there is no further record of Paulsons in Sanday. It would, therefore, seem that the Paulsons had dropped their patronymic and taken the surname of Fea, probably from the lands of Fea in the near neighbourhood of Stove, which very possibly were at one time their odal property" (REO., p. 206). Sir John Paulson was vicar of Kilmaly in diocese of Lismore, 1559." 1

Early History of the Poulson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poulson research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1456, 1500, 1783, 1829, 1858, 1865 and 1946 are included under the topic Early Poulson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poulson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Poulson has been spelled Polson, Poulson, Poulsen, Poulsin, Poleson, Pole and many more.

Early Notables of the Poulson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

George Poulson (1783-1858), English topographer, was born in 1783. His first publication was ‘Beverlac

Poulson Ranking

In the United States, the name Poulson is the 9,198^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Poulson family to Ireland

Some of the Poulson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poulson migration to the United States +

Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Poulson:

Poulson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Poulson, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 3
Anguette Poulson, who landed in Maryland in 1664 3
Andrew Poulson, who arrived in Maryland in 1666-1750 3
Paul Poulson, who arrived in Virginia in 1684 3

Poulson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anders Poulson, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 3
Knute Poulson, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 3

Poulson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Poulson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Poulson, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mr. Henry Poulson, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Poulson (post 1700) +

Chris Poulson (b. 1980), American Musician
Zachariah Poulson (1761-1844), American editor and publisher
Michael Poulson (b. 1965), American "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer
C. Norris Poulson (1895-1982), American mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1953 to 1961
C Norris Poulson (1895-1982), American politician, United States Congressman, and mayor of Los Angeles from 1953 to 1961
Niels Poulson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Utah, 1916 6
Mike Poulson, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Austin, Texas, 1985, 1988 6
Francis W. Poulson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Ohio State Attorney General, 1928; Ohio Democratic State Chair, 1937 6
Christian Poulson, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Utah, 1916 6
Chris Poulson (b. 1904), American politician, Delegate to Alaska State Constitutional Convention, 1955-56 6
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html