2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karling
An Americanized variant of the German surname "Kaerling," meaning someone from the town of Karlingen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Karling. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karling 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Karling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karling
The surname Karling has its origins in the Nordic countries, specifically Sweden and Norway, dating back to the 9th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "karl," which means "a man" or "a strong man." The name was likely initially used as a descriptive term for a person with a robust or masculine appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karling can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), which documents the initial Norse settlements in Iceland. This manuscript, written in the 12th century, mentions individuals with the name Karling or similar variations.
The name Karling gained prominence during the Viking Age, as many Norsemen with this surname took part in raids and explorations across Europe and beyond. Historical records from the 9th to 11th centuries mention Karling warriors and explorers who ventured to various parts of the British Isles, France, and Greenland.
In the 11th century, a notable individual named Leif Karling (c. 970 – c. 1020) was among the first Europeans to set foot in North America, leading an expedition to what is now Newfoundland, Canada. His voyage is documented in the Greenland Saga and the Saga of Erik the Red.
Another prominent figure with the Karling surname was Thorvald Karling (c. 980 – c. 1020), the brother of Leif Karling. He was part of the same expedition to North America and is known for being the first European to be buried on the continent after being mortally wounded by a Native American.
In the 13th century, the surname Karling appeared in the Huseby Bullaren inscription, a runic stone found in Västergötland, Sweden. This inscription mentions an individual named Sigmund Karling, indicating the name's continued use in the region.
Over time, the surname Karling evolved with various spellings, such as Karlinger, Karlsson, and Carlsson, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes. It is also believed that the name influenced the development of the English surname Carling, found in areas with strong Nordic influences, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Karling surname, including:
1. Gustav Karling (1859-1934), a Swedish architect and urban planner responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Stockholm.
2. Nils Karling (1891-1967), a Swedish botanist and phycologist known for his contributions to the study of algae.
3. Esther Karling (1902-1994), a Finnish artist and painter who specialized in landscape and portrait paintings.
4. Sven Karling (1903-1988), a Swedish zoologist and expert on marine invertebrates, particularly turbellarians.
5. Gunnar Karling (1927-2008), a Swedish writer and poet known for his works exploring existential themes and the human condition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karling
Among Census respondents with the surname Karling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Karling 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 Karling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karling
Karling 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+10 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 53 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 53 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,305 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 Karling 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 | #132,206 | #143,511 | -8.6% |
| Count | 128 | 118 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karling bearers went from 128 to 118 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #143,511.
FAQ
Karling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karling?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Karling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Karling?
Karling ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Karling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Karling.
Has Karling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karling went from 128 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Karling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Karling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Karling (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 Karling mean?
An Americanized variant of the German surname "Kaerling," meaning someone from the town of Karlingen. 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 Karling (0.04 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 Karling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.