Explore the Family Name Karlson
The meaning of Karlson
1. Americanized form (and a very rare Swedish variant) of Swedish Karlsson. 2. Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Karlsen, a cognate of 1 above. 3. German: patronymic from the personal name Karl (see also Charles). Compare Carlson. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Algot, Lars, Nils, Eskil, Holger, Knute, Lennart, Sven. German Kurt, Hans, Otto.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Karlson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Karlson has significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 15,244th most popular surname, but it rose in the rankings to the 14,006th position by 2010, marking an increase of 8.12%. During the same timeframe, the number of individuals with this last name also grew from 1,772 to 2,150, a notable rise of 21.33%. The proportion per 100k people similarly increased by 10.61%, further indicating the growing prevalence of this surname across the United States.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,244 | #14,006 | 8.12% |
| Count | 1,772 | 2,150 | 21.33% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.66 | 0.73 | 10.61% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Karlson
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Karlson is predominantly White, as evidenced by the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In both 2000 and 2010, over 94% of the individuals with this surname identified as White. However, there were slight shifts in the other ethnic groups during this period. The percentage of Karlsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black increased by 39.73%, 40.34%, and 24.44% respectively. Meanwhile, those claiming two or more races saw a modest increase of 1.78%. Conversely, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native Karlsons dropped significantly by 61.18%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.09% | 94.7% | -0.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 1.72% | 1.78% |
| Hispanic | 1.19% | 1.67% | 40.34% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.73% | 1.02% | 39.73% |
| Black | 0.45% | 0.56% | 24.44% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 0.33% | -61.18% |