Paulsen
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Paul,” especially common in German, Danish, and Dutch naming traditions.
The #3,211 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,461 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Paulsen is a patronymic formed from the given name Paul plus a northern European suffix meaning “son of.” The name Paul itself comes from Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.” In surnames, Paulsen therefore originally meant “Paul’s son.”
History
The surname is especially associated with Germany and Scandinavia, and it also appears in Dutch and Frisian family-name patterns. The form was carried into English-speaking countries by immigration, where it remained recognizable as a hereditary surname. Related forms such as Paulson, Paulsson, Pauli, and Pauwels reflect the same basic patronymic idea in different languages.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root that gave rise to Paulsen also produced the English word-name Paul and many European surnames built from it.
From the historical record
“Paul, m. ; Pauls, Paulsen, fam. n. Peta, f. Peter, m. ; dimin. Peterke, f. ; Peters, Petersen, fam. n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)