Find out how popular the last name Karlan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Karlan.

Karlan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Karlan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karlan in America

Karlan is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karlan surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Karlan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karlan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Karlan

The surname Karlan has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. This name is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century, derived from the Old Polish word "karła," which meant "dwarf" or "small person."

In the early days, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or geographic locations. The name Karlan may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals of shorter stature or those who worked as court jesters or entertainers, roles often associated with dwarfs in those times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karlan can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a family by that name is mentioned in church records dating back to the late 17th century. It is possible that the name may have originated in this region and then spread to other parts of Eastern Europe through migration or trade.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Karlan appears in various historical documents and records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire. For instance, a notable figure named Jan Karlan (1745-1812) was a respected scholar and linguist who authored several books on the Polish language and its grammar.

Another individual of note was Mariya Karlan (1820-1891), a renowned Ukrainian painter and portraitist who captured the lives and customs of the Ukrainian nobility and gentry during the 19th century. Her works are displayed in several museums across Ukraine and Russia.

In the early 20th century, a prominent Russian businessman named Mikhail Karlan (1875-1942) made a significant contribution to the development of the steel industry in the Ural region. His family's legacy continues through the Karlan Steel Company, which he founded in 1912 and remains operational to this day.

The name Karlan has also been found in other parts of Europe, although its origin and meaning may have slightly different interpretations. For example, in Germany, the variant spelling "Karlan" is believed to be derived from the word "Karle," which means "free man" or "free peasant."

While the surname Karlan is not among the most common in the world, it carries a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karlan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Karlan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Karlan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Karlan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Karlan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Karlan, please contact us.

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