Olsen (surname)
Olsen Danish pronunciation: [ˈoːˀlsn̩] is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Ole". The surname Olesen Danish pronunciation: [ˈoːləsn] has a similar origin. The Swedish parallel form is Olsson - "son of Ola". Danish and Norwegian immigrants to English-speaking countries often changed the spelling to Olson in order to accommodate English orthographic rules.
Notable people with the surname include:
- Anton Olsen, Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Ben Olsen (born 1977), American soccer player
- Bjørnar Olsen Norwegian archaeologist
- Brian Olsen (born 1975), American mixed martial artist
- Carsten Olsen, Danish plant ecologist and physiologist
- Charles Olsen, American poet renowned for his provocative style and large body of works
- Frances Olsen (born 1945), American law professor at UCLA, feminist law scholar.
- Greg Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
- Gregory Olsen (born 1945), American entrepreneur and scientist, space tourist
- Harold Olsen (1895–1953), American college sports coach
- Jens Olsen
- John Olsen (born 1928), Australian artist
- John Olsen, 42nd Premier of South Australia
- Ken Olsen (1926-2011), American engineer, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation
- Kristoffer Olsen, (1883–1948) a Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics
- Lisa Olsen (born 1956), Canadian skydiver
- Merlin Olsen, Hall of Fame NFL American football player and TV color commentator
- Michael Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
- Niels Olsen, original name of Cornelius Cruys, 17th Century Norwegian-Dutch admiral in the Russian service
- Ole Olsen (disambiguation) - multiple people
- Peder Olsen Walløe (1716-1793), Danish-Norwegian Arctic explorer
- Penelope Diane Olsen, Australian ornithologist and author
- Scott Olsen (born 1984), American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins
- Súni Olsen, a Faroese football player
- Tillie Olsen (1912–2007), American writer, feminist, and political activist
- Viktor Olsen (born 1924), Norwegian long-distance runner
- Larry Olsen (born 1948), Australian retired jockey and current reporter
- Martin Olsen (born 1983), American web developer and home brewer
- Olsen (first name?) A controversial 19th century cartographer and Danish nationalist (see Duchy of Schleswig#Name and naming dispute)
Entertainment
- Chris Olsen, a jazz pianist, composer, poet, and vocalist
- Elizabeth Olsen, (born 1989), American actress and singer
- Eric Christian Olsen (born 1977), American actor
- Gary Olsen (1957 - 2000), English actor
- Jimmy Olsen, a fictional character who appears in DC Comics' Superman stories
- Ken C. Olsen, (born 1950), Canadian actor, television host
- Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (born 1986), American actress twins
- Susan Olsen (born 1961), American actress best known as Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch
- Olsen Brothers, Danish rock/pop music duo
- Jonny Olsen, Lao khaen player and singer