Poulsen is a Danish patronymic surname meaning "son of Poul" (Danish version of Paul). The form Paulsen is a less common cognate.

People with the name include:

Sportspeople

• Aage Poulsen (1919–1998), Danish long-distance runner
• Anders Poulsen (ice hockey) (born 1991), Danish hockey player
• Anders Poulsen (referee) (born 1981), Danish football referee
• Andreas Poulsen (born 1999), Danish footballer
• Annette Poulsen (born 1969), Danish swimmer
• Christian Poulsen (born 1980), Danish professional football player
• Christian Poulsen (chess player) (1912–1981), Danish chess master
• Christian Poulsen (cyclist) (born 1979), Danish cyclist
• Christopher Poulsen (born 1981), Danish footballer
• Hanne Høegh Poulsen (born 1981), Danish taekwondo practitioner
• Jakob Poulsen (born 1983), Danish professional football player
• Jan B. Poulsen (born 1946), Danish football manager
• Jonas Kældsø Poulsen (born 1985), Danish windsurfer
• Kaj Poulsen (born 1942), Danish footballer
• Kasper Poulsen, Danish wheelchair curler
• Katja Poulsen (born 1976), Danish archer
• Ken Poulsen (1947–2017), American baseball player
• Kim Poulsen (born 1959), Danish football manager
• Kristian Poulsen (born 1975), Danish racing driver
• Lív Poulsen (born 1997), Danish footballer
• Maria Poulsen (born 1984), Danish curler
• Mette Poulsen (born 1993), Danish badminton player
• Mikkel Poulsen (born 1984), Danish curler
• Olaf Klitgaard Poulsen (1914–2007), Danish rower
• Ole Poulsen (born 1941), Danish sport sailer
• Poul Byrge Poulsen (1915–1994), Danish rower
• René Holten Poulsen (born 1988), Danish sprint canoeist
• Rikke Poulsen (born 1986), Danish handball player
• Roald Poulsen (born 1950), Danish football manager
• Rógvi Poulsen (born 1989), Faroese footballer
• Sandy Poulsen (born 1952), American alpine skier
• Simon Poulsen (born 1984), Danish professional football player
• Svenne Poulsen (born 1980), Danish footballer
• Thomas Poulsen (born 1970), Danish rower
• Willy Poulsen (born 1946), Danish rower
• Yussuf Poulsen (born 1994), Danish footballer

Other people

• Axel Poulsen (1887–1972), Danish sculptor
• Erik Poulsen (born 1964), American politician
• Gudrun Poulsen (1918–1999), Danish painter
• Hanna Poulsen (born 1984), Finnish model, Miss Finland 2005
• Hans Poulsen (1945–2023), Australian singer-songwriter
• Henrik Poulsen (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jógvan Poulsen (fl. 1654–1677), Lawman of the Faroe Islands
• Jógvan Poulsen (1854–1941), Faroese politician
• Johan Poulsen (1890–1980), Faroese politician
• Johanne Astrid Poulsen (born 2006), Danish drummer
• Johannes Poulsen (1881–1938), Danish actor and director
• Karen Poulsen (1881–1953), Danish stage and film actress
• Kevin Poulsen (born 1965), American black hat hacker and senior editor at Wired News
• Michael Poulsen (born 1975), lead singer of the Danish rock band Volbeat
• Morten Poulsen (born 1988), Danish hockey player
• Nicolai Poulsen (born 1993), Danish footballer
• Niels Winther Poulsen (1902–1990), Faroese politician
• Olaf Poulsen (1849–1923), Danish actor
• Poul Poulsen Nolsøe (1766–1809), Faroese national hero
• Roy G. Poulsen (1918–2006), American economist
• Sally-Ann Poulsen, Australian chemical biologist
• Sara Poulsen (born 1984), Danish actress
• Søren Pape Poulsen (1971–2024), Danish politician
• Svend Poulsen (c. 1610–c. 1680), Danish military commander
• Tórbjørn Poulsen (1932–2014), Faroese politician
• Troels Lund Poulsen (born 1976), Danish politician
• Ulla Poulsen (1905–2001), Danish ballerina and actress
• Valdemar Poulsen (1869–1942), Danish engineer