Olsson

also Ohlsson

Son of Olof — a first-Christian-king's name.

Origin: Swedish
Register: Swedish family

The seat of Olsson

Seat vacant

Chief

No one leads the Olsson community yet. When the movement opens, you can stand for its leadership, or help elect whoever does.

Current mission

No shared goal set yet. Once Olsson has leadership, it sets the public focus: a restoration, a gathering, a real-world project that helps its own.

The Olsson clan is being rebuilt. Join the waiting list for the movement today, and you help decide who leads it and what it does.

Help rebuild the Olsson clan →

What does the Olsson name mean?

'Son of Olof' (or Ola) — Olof, 'ancestor's descendant', another old Norse royal name, borne by Sweden's first Christian king. The Swedish twin of the Norwegian Olsen.

The history of Olsson

Olof was the name of Olof Skötkonung, the first Swedish king to take baptism, and it stayed a favourite down the centuries. Its patronymic Olsson is a common Swedish surname — the double-s twin of Norway's Olsen, the spelling parting two branches of the same northern name.

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Frequently asked

What does the surname Olsson mean?

'Son of Olof' (or Ola) — Olof, 'ancestor's descendant', another old Norse royal name, borne by Sweden's first Christian king. The Swedish twin of the Norwegian Olsen. Olof was the name of Olof Skötkonung, the first Swedish king to take baptism, and it stayed a favourite down the centuries.

Is Olsson a Swedish surname?

Yes, Olsson is a Swedish surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is Swedish, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.

How old is the Olsson surname?

Olof was the name of Olof Skötkonung, the first Swedish king to take baptism, and it stayed a favourite down the centuries. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Olsson name took its modern form within that long settlement.

What is the Olsson family known for?

Son of Olof — a first-Christian-king's name. Olof was the name of Olof Skötkonung, the first Swedish king to take baptism, and it stayed a favourite down the centuries.

Is Ohlsson the same family as Olsson?

Yes. Ohlsson is a historical spelling variant of the Olsson name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Where is the Olsson surname found today?

Swedish is the primary historical home of the Olsson surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Swedish origin recorded on this page.

What does the Clan Rising page for the Olsson family cover?

The Clan Rising page for the Olsson family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Swedish so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.

Who is the head of the Olsson family today?

The seat for the head of the Olsson family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.