Karlson
A masculine Scandinavian name derived from the Old Norse "karl" meaning "man" or "freeman".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Karlson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karlson today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karlson births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karlson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Karlson with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karlson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2024
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,611
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Karlson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karlson from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karlson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Karlson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karlson
The given name Karlson derives from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "peasant". The name originated in the Middle Ages and gained popularity across various regions of Europe.
The name Karl has its roots in the Old Norse word "karl", which later evolved into the Old English "ceorl" and the Old High German "karl". These words originally referred to men of humble birth or lower social status, in contrast to the nobility or aristocracy.
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures bearing the name Karl was Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great (742-814 CE). He was the King of the Franks and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne's reign marked a significant period in European history, known as the Carolingian Renaissance, which saw a revival of art, religion, and culture.
Another prominent figure was Charles V (1500-1558), the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, who ruled over vast territories across Europe and the New World. His reign witnessed the spread of the Protestant Reformation and the height of the Spanish Empire's power and influence.
In the realm of literature, the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) created the beloved children's book character Karlson, a mischievous and adventurous little man who lived on the roof. This character has become a cultural icon in Sweden and has been adapted into various media, including films and television series.
The name Karlson also has ties to the world of music. One notable bearer was the Swedish composer and conductor Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007), who was a pioneer in electronic music and is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.
In the field of science, the Swedish chemist and inventor Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) made significant contributions to the early development of chemistry. He is credited with the discovery of several chemical elements, including oxygen, chlorine, and barium.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Karlson or its variations. The name has endured through the centuries, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and associations with various fields of human endeavor.
People
Karlson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karlson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karlson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karlson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karlson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Karlson a common name?
We classify Karlson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karlson most popular?
The single biggest year for Karlson was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karlson is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Karlson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karlson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karlson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Karlson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karlson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Karlson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Karlson as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.