2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karsjens
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone from the town of Karsjen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Karsjens. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karsjens 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Karsjens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karsjens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karsjens
The surname Karsjens is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the old Dutch word "karser," meaning "a person who keeps or tends to buildings or grounds." The name likely referred to individuals who were employed as caretakers or groundskeepers on estates or properties owned by the nobility or clergy.
The earliest recorded instances of the Karsjens surname can be traced back to the 16th century in the province of Friesland, located in the northern part of the Netherlands. Historical records from this region show variations in spelling, such as Karssens, Karsiens, and Karschen, which were common during that era.
In the 17th century, the name Karsjens appears in several Dutch church records and municipal archives, indicating its widespread use across the Netherlands. One notable historical figure from this period was Pieter Karsjens, a merchant born in Amsterdam in 1632, who was involved in the lucrative spice trade with the Dutch East Indies.
As Dutch settlers began emigrating to other parts of the world, the Karsjens surname traveled with them. In the late 18th century, a family bearing the name Karsjens settled in the Cape Colony of South Africa, where they established themselves as farmers and landowners. One of their descendants, Hendrik Karsjens (1812-1887), became a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate in the town of Graaff-Reinet.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the Karsjens surname made their mark in various fields. Jan Karsjens (1819-1892), a Dutch painter and illustrator, was known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting rural scenes from the Netherlands. In the field of literature, Johanna Karsjens (1842-1921) was a celebrated poet and author who published several collections of poetry and prose that explored themes of nature and the human experience.
The Karsjens surname has also been documented in other parts of Europe, including Germany and Belgium, where variations such as Karschens and Karsiens were used. One notable example is Hans Karschens (1887-1971), a German architect who was involved in the reconstruction efforts in Berlin after World War II.
Throughout its history, the Karsjens surname has maintained a strong presence, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karsjens
Among Census respondents with the surname Karsjens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karsjens 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 Karsjens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karsjens
Karsjens 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,800 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+10 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,800 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 9,549 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 Karsjens 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 | #156,044 | #146,495 | 6.1% |
| Count | 104 | 114 | 9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karsjens bearers went from 104 to 114 (+9.6% change). The surname moved up 9,549 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #146,495.
FAQ
Karsjens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karsjens?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Karsjens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Karsjens?
Karsjens ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Karsjens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Karsjens.
Has Karsjens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karsjens went from 104 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 10 (+9.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Karsjens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karsjens, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Karsjens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karsjens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (1.8%). 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 Karsjens (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 Karsjens mean?
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone from the town of Karsjen. 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 Karsjens (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 common is the surname Karsjens?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Karsjens, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.