Explore the Family Name Karlsson

The meaning of Karlsson

Swedish: patronymic from the personal name Karl (see also Charles). Compare Carlsson. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Lars, Anders, Alf, Bjorn, Erik, Kerstin, Agust, Elnar, Fritjof, Gudmundur, Johan, Kristinn.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Karlsson in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Karlsson has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 29,390 in popularity; however, by 2010, it had risen to 27,110, marking a change of 7.76%. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 758 in 2000 to 893 in 2010, which is an impressive 17.81% growth rate. The proportion per 100k also saw an increase from 0.28 to 0.3, indicating a surge of 7.14%.

20002010Change
Rank#29,390#27,1107.76%
Count75889317.81%
Proportion per 100k0.280.37.14%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Karlsson

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Karlsson also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest portion of Karlssons identified as White, although there was a slight decrease from 93.4% in 2000 to 90.93% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity was Hispanic, which saw a rise from 2.64% to 3.14%. Furthermore, the percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 1.19% to 1.46%. Remarkably, those identifying with two or more races had a significant boost from 1.32% to 3.25%. In 2010, new entries into the ethnicity table were Black at 0.67% and American Indian and Alaskan Native at 0.56%, whereas they were not represented in the 2000 data.

20002010Change
White93.4%90.93%-2.64%
Two or More Races1.32%3.25%146.21%
Hispanic2.64%3.14%18.94%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.19%1.46%22.69%
Black0%0.67%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.56%0%