Show ContentsPovlsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Danish surname Povlsen 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 Povlsen family

The surname Povlsen 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 Povlsen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Povlsen research. The year 1718 is included under the topic Early Povlsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Povlsen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Poulsen, Poulson, Palleson, Paulsen, Povlsen and others.

Early Notables of the Povlsen family

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

Migration of the Povlsen family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Anders Poulson, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849; Kirsten N. Poulsen, who settled in Utah in 1862; Andreas Poulsen, who was naturalized in Wisconsin in 1877.


Contemporary Notables of the name Povlsen (post 1700) +

  • Kris Povlsen, American politician, Mayor of DeKalb, Illinois, 2011- 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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