Carlsen
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Carl.”
The #7,647 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,090 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Carlsen is a Scandinavian patronymic built from the given name Carl, with the addition of -sen, meaning “son of.” The name Carl comes from a Germanic root meaning “man” or “free man,” and it is the same basic name found in Charles. In literal terms, Carlsen means “Carl’s son.”
History
This surname is especially common in Denmark and Norway, and it also appears in Sweden and among emigrant communities abroad. Like many Scandinavian family names, it became hereditary relatively late, after originally functioning as a direct patronymic. Variants and related forms are widespread across northern Europe, including Karlsson, Karlson, and Carlson.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Carlsen is the kind of surname that reflects an older naming system in which a child’s last name could change from one generation to the next before surnames became fixed.