Olsen (surname)

Olsen is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Ole". The surname Olesen has a similar origin. The Swedish parallel form is Olsson – "son of Ole". 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:

A–K

 * Aase Olesen (1934–2013), Danish politician
 * Andrea Olsen (born 1961), American politician
 * Angel Olsen (born 1987), American singer.
 * Annelise Damm Olesen (born 1942), Danish retired middle-distance runner
 * Anton Olsen (U.S. Navy) (1873–1924), Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient
 * Ben Olsen (born 1977), American soccer player
 * Bjørk Herup Olsen (born 1991), Faroese athlete
 * Bjørnar Olsen (born 1958), Norwegian archaeologist
 * Brian Olsen (born 1975), American mixed martial artist
 * Carsten Olsen (1891–1974), Danish plant ecologist and physiologist
 * Charles Olsen (1910–1970), American poet renowned for his provocative style and large body of works
 * Dorothy Olsen (1916–2019), American aircraft pilot and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs)
 * Elizabeth Olsen (born 1989), American actress
 * Eric Christian Olsen (born 1977), American actor
 * Eunice Olsen (born 1977), Singaporean actress and model
 * Frances Olsen (born 1945), American law professor at UCLA, feminist law scholar.
 * Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (1877–1962), Danish soldier, commander in chief of the Belgian Congo Force Publique
 * Gary Olsen (1957–2000), English actor
 * Greg Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Gregory Olsen (born 1945), American entrepreneur and scientist, space tourist
 * Harold Olsen (1895–1953), American college sports coach
 * Helle Olsen, better known as Helle Helle, Danish writer born 1965
 * Hilde Gunn Olsen (born 1992), Norwegian footballer
 * Inger Pors Olsen (born 1966), Danish rower
 * Jens Olsen (1872–1945), Danish clockmaker and locksmith
 * John Olsen (1928–2023), Australian artist
 * John Olsen (born 1945), 42nd Premier of South Australia
 * José María Figueres Olsen (born 1954), 42nd President of Costa Rica
 * Karen Olsen Beck (born 1933), Danish American-Costa Rican diplomat and politician
 * Ken Olsen (1926–2011), American engineer, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation
 * Kirsten Olesen (born 1949), Danish actress
 * Kjeld Olesen (born 1932), Danish politician
 * Kristoffer Olsen (1883–1948), a Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics
 * Kurt Olsen, American attorney who worked on efforts to overturn 2020 election

L–Z

 * Larry Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Lisa Olsen (born 1956), Canadian skydiver
 * Maria Olsen, South African film producer
 * Maria Olsen, New Zealand artist
 * Martin Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (born 1986), American actress twins
 * Merlin Olsen, Hall of Fame NFL American football player and TV color commentator
 * Michael Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Moroni Olsen (1889–1954), American actor
 * Niels Olsen, original name of Cornelius Cruys, 17th century Norwegian-Dutch admiral in Russian service
 * Norman Eugene Olsen (December 1, 1914 – October 1977) was an American football tackle
 * Ole Olsen (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Ollie Olsen (born 1958), Australian-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and sound designer.
 * Peder Olsen Walløe (1716–1793), Danish-Norwegian Arctic explorer
 * Penelope Diane Olsen, Australian ornithologist and author
 * Peter B. Olsen (1848–1926), American politician
 * Poppy Starr Olsen (born 2000), Australian skateboarder
 * Robin Olsen, (born 1990), Swedish football goalkeeper
 * Sally Olsen (1912–2006), Norwegian-born American social worker and missionary
 * Sally Olsen (Minnesota politician) (1934–2022), American lawyer and politician
 * Scott Olsen (born 1984), American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins
 * Søren Olesen (1891–1973), Danish teacher and politician
 * Súni Olsen, a Faroese football player
 * Susan Olsen (born 1961), American actress best known as Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch
 * Tava Olsen, New Zealand professor in supply chain management
 * Tillie Olsen (1912–2007), American writer, feminist, and political activist
 * Viktor Olsen (1924–2023), Norwegian long-distance runner
 * Olsen Brothers, Danish rock/pop music duo

Fictional characters with the surname include

 * Jimmy Olsen, a fictional character who appears in DC Comics' Superman stories
 * Tulip Olsen, the main character in Book One of the animated anthology series Infinity Train