Researching Walter Neilson
Investigate the background of Walter Neilson using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 4221 people with the Neilson surname? In that year Neilson was ranked number 1006 for popularity in the UK. |

The name Walter means "powerful warrior" and is of German origin.
Records of Walter Neilson on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Walter Neilson in your family tree. With over 30 billion records and 100 million family trees to search, Ancestry is one of the key websites to visit to help you trace your family tree back in time. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for Walter Neilson. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Walter Neilson. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for Walter Neilson. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for Walter Neilson. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for Walter Neilson. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Neilson ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Neilson Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Walter Neilson and the Neilson Family Tree
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Neilson Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Neilson family tree.
Study Parish Records for Walter Neilson at Find My Past.
Explore for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Walter Neilson using the FreeBMD database.
Study Genealogy Bank for Walter Neilson records.
Study MyHeritage for Walter Neilson information.
Check out the LDS Database for records about Walter Neilson.
Research the Neilson surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Neilson Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 4148 people with the Neilson surname in the UK? Neilson is now ranked number 1402 for popularity in the UK. |
Neilson Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Investigate the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Walter Neilson.
Study MyTrees for information on the Neilson family and people looking to contact living Neilson relations.
Check out One Great Family for Neilson records submitted by people who are already researching the Neilson Family Tree.
Find Walter Neilson from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Neilson Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Neilson surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 6076 people with the Neilson surname in the USA? Neilson is ranked number 155 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Neilson Databases
Check out the Ellis Island Database for information on Walter Neilson. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Walter Neilson
Walter Montgomerie Neilson
Walter Montgomerie Neilson (28 November 1819 – 8 July 1889) was a noted Scottish locomotive and marine engineer and manufacturer. He was born in Glasgow, the son of James Beaumont Neilson, inventor of the hot blast furnace. Walter was trained as an engineer in the Oakbank Foundry run by his uncle John Neilson. He also worked in the St Rollox Engine Works in Glasgow. He was a President of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Outside his professional career, he was involved in local politics, the military, and Freemasonry.
Source: Walter Montgomerie Neilson, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Other names that sound a bit like Neilson
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Knelson Knowlson Nehlsen Neilsen Neligan Nelissen Nelkin Nelligan Nelsen Nelson Nielsen Nielson Nielssen Nillson Nilsen Nilson Nilsson Nulsen





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