Explore the Family Name Karlsen
The meaning of Karlsen
Danish, Norwegian, and North German: patronymic from the personal name Karl (see also Charles). Compare Carlsen and Karlson. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Anders, Bjorn, Britt, Erik, Holger, Knut, Magnar, Oddvar, Oyvind, Per, Svein, Thor. German Bernhardt, Ernst, Fritz, Kurt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Karlsen in the United States?
The surname Karlsen has seen a slight decrease in its popularity over the last decade, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it ranked as the 35,053rd most popular surname and by 2010, it slipped down to rank 37,229. Similarly, the actual count of people with the Karlsen surname also slightly declined from 609 in 2000 to 599 in 2010. This represents a -1.64% change. The proportion of individuals with the Karlsen surname per 100,000 population also decreased during this period by -13.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,053 | #37,229 | -6.21% |
| Count | 609 | 599 | -1.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.23 | 0.2 | -13.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Karlsen
In terms of ethnic identity, the majority of individuals bearing the Karlsen surname are predominantly identified as White according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 92.78% identified as White and while this percentage slightly dropped to 91.49% in 2010, it still forms the majority. The next largest group identified as Hispanic in ethnicity, which experienced a significant increase of 48.83% from 2.13% in 2000 to 3.17% in 2010. Also noteworthy is the small increase in those identifying with two or more races, up 18.78% from 2000 to 2.34% in 2010. Conversely, there was a decline of -22.22% in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 2.79% in 2000 to just 2.17% in 2010. No individuals bearing the Karlsen surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.78% | 91.49% | -1.39% |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 3.17% | 48.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.97% | 2.34% | 18.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.79% | 2.17% | -22.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |