UK boy's name
Karsen
Of Scandinavian origin, meaning "warrior from the marsh".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Karsen is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Karsen popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 5 births.
This profile covers 24 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2009 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 24 living people in the UK are called Karsen. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Karsen ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 5 boys were registered as Karsen.
- • About 24 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karsen as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4001
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
2017
5 births
Estimated living
24
2026
Meaning
What does Karsen mean?
The name Karsen is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic tribes in Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is thought to be a variant of the name Karsten, which itself is derived from the Old Norse name Karstein.
In Old Norse, the name Karstein is composed of two elements: "kar" meaning "warrior" or "soldier," and "steinn" meaning "stone." Thus, the name Karsen may have been borne by individuals who were considered strong and resilient like a stone, or by those who were skilled warriors or soldiers.
While there are no definitive records of the name's usage in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some historians believe it may have been used by Norse warriors or settlers who ventured to other parts of Europe during the Viking Age.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Karsen was a Danish nobleman named Karsen Bille, who lived in the 14th century. He was a member of the influential Bille family and served as a trusted advisor to King Valdemar IV of Denmark.
Another notable figure was Karsen Kold, a Danish theologian and educator who lived from 1793 to 1871. He was instrumental in establishing the folk high school movement in Denmark, which aimed to provide education and cultural enrichment to rural communities.
In the 19th century, a Norwegian-American businessman named Karsen Isachsen (1828-1907) made significant contributions to the development of the mining industry in the American West. He was a pioneer in the exploration and extraction of precious metals in Nevada and Colorado.
The name Karsen also gained some prominence in the arts, with a Danish actor named Karsen Pedersen (1903-1988) who appeared in several films during the golden age of Danish cinema in the 1930s and 1940s.
More recently, a Norwegian footballer named Karsen Kusk Pedersen (born 1988) has represented his country at the international level and played for various clubs in Europe, including the Danish team Brøndby IF.
While the name Karsen is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Scandinavia and serves as a reminder of the rich history and traditions of the Norse people.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karsen over time
The chart below shows babies named Karsen registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Karsen, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karsen by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karsen was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4001 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4020 | 16 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3744 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Karsen
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Karsen: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karsen in the UK right now?
In 2022, Karsen was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Karsen most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 5 babies registered as Karsen in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karsen?
Of Scandinavian origin, meaning "warrior from the marsh".
How many people are called Karsen in the UK?
A total of 24 babies have been registered as Karsen across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.