EtymologyNilsson is a Swedish patronymic surname meaning "son of Nils". The name Nils itself is a Scandinavian form of Nicholas, derived from the Greek Nikolaos, composed of nike ("victory") and laos ("people"), thus meaning "victory of the people". Nilsson is the fourth most common surname in Sweden, reflecting the historical popularity of the given name Nils, especially in the 19th century.Notable BearersThe surname Nilsson is borne by many distinguished individuals across various fields. In music, Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) was a renowned Swedish soprano, celebrated for her powerful voice and interpretations of Wagner and Strauss. Christina Nilsson (1843–1921) was an acclaimed operatic soprano of the 19th century. In film and theater, Anna Q. Nilsson (1888–1974) was a Swedish-born American actress of the silent era. In sports, Dave Nilsson (born 1969) is an Australian baseball player and coach who played for the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB. Cecilia Nilsson (born 1979) is a Swedish Olympic hammer thrower. Other notable bearers include Anders Nilsson, a common name shared by several Swedish ice hockey goalkeepers; Bo Nilsson (1937–2018), a Swedish composer and poet; and Anna T. Nilsson (1869–1947), a Swedish educator and peace activist.Cultural Significance and VariantsAs a patronymic, Nilsson aligns with the Scandinavian naming tradition where the suffix -son indicates "son of". Related surnames include Niklasson (also Swedish) and Nelson (English and Scandinavian). In other cultures, equivalents include Nikolaev (Russian), Nikolov (Macedonian), and Nikolić (Serbian), all deriving from Nicholas.Meaning: "son of Nils" (and ultimately "victory of the people")Origin: Swedish patronymic surnameUsage regions: Sweden (4th most common surname), also found in other Scandinavian countries