2000
#7,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,258
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Carlsen
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Carl," derived from the Old Norse name Karl, meaning "free man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,778 Americans carry the last name Carlsen. That puts it at #7,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,736 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carlsen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Carlsen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,736
Census rank
#7,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,167 bearers of the surname Carlsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carlsen
The surname Carlsen is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Denmark and Norway. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name Karl, which means "man" or "warrior". The addition of the suffix "-sen" indicates "son of".
Carlsen was a common patronymic surname in medieval Denmark and Norway, denoting the son of a man named Karl. It was particularly prevalent in areas with a strong Viking influence, such as the coastal regions of Norway and the Danish islands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carlsen dates back to the 13th century, when a man named Thorstein Carlsen was mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. These ancient literary works provide valuable insights into the naming conventions and cultural practices of the time.
In the 14th century, the name Carlsen appeared in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. This suggests that the surname was well-established in Norway during this period.
The Carlsen family has a long and distinguished history in Scandinavia. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Sven Carlsen (1506-1583), a Danish astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
2. Niels Carlsen (1808-1879), a Norwegian ship-owner and merchant who played a pivotal role in the development of Norway's maritime industry.
3. Emil Carlsen (1848-1932), an American painter of Danish descent, known for his masterful depictions of coastal landscapes and seascapes.
4. Magnus Carlsen (born 1990), the current World Chess Champion from Norway, who has held the title since 2013.
5. Inger Lise Carlsen (born 1968), a Norwegian actress and film director, renowned for her performances in several critically acclaimed movies.
While the surname Carlsen has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, its historical significance can be traced back to the Viking Age and the rich cultural heritage of Denmark and Norway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carlsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Carlsen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Carlsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 3,811
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 160
- Two or more races2.7% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- Black or African American0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carlsen
Carlsen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,343
+85 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 423 places
2020
#7,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,167
-176 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,224 | 4,258 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,647 | 4,343 | 1.47 | +85 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 423 places |
| 2020 | #7,661 | 4,167 | 1.39 | -176 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 14 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Carlsen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,647 | #7,661 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,343 | 4,167 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.39 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carlsen bearers went from 4,343 to 4,167 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,647 to #7,661.
FAQ
Carlsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carlsen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,778 living Americans carry the surname Carlsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,736 residents.
How common is Carlsen?
Carlsen ranks #7,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,167 people with the surname Carlsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Carlsen.
Has Carlsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carlsen went from 4,343 recorded bearers to 4,167. That is a decrease of 176 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,647 to #7,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Carlsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Carlsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (3,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carlsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Carlsen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Carlsen mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Carl," derived from the Old Norse name Karl, meaning "free man." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Carlsen (1.39 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Carlsen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.