UK boy's name
Karson
A masculine name of Old Norse origin meaning "son of Carl.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Karson is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Karson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #945, with 33 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 61 births.
This profile covers 562 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 54% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 729 living people in the UK are called Karson. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Karson ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 33 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 61 boys were registered as Karson.
- • Karson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #352 in 2024.
- • About 729 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#945
2024
Births in 2024
33
Latest year
Peak year
2021
61 births
Estimated living
729
2026
Meaning
What does Karson mean?
The name Karson has its origins in the Old Norse language and is derived from the word "Karlsson," which means "son of Karl." Karl was a common Germanic name that was derived from the word "karl," meaning "free man" or "husband." The name Karson gained popularity during the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Karson can be traced back to the medieval period in Scandinavia, particularly in areas such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. It was commonly used as a patronymic surname, indicating that the person was the son of someone named Karl.
There are no known historical references to the name Karson in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, the name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Karson was Karson the Red, a Norwegian Viking who is said to have lived in the 9th century. He was renowned for his fierce battle skills and his participation in numerous raids across Europe.
Another notable figure with the name Karson was Karson Gustavsson, a Swedish military officer who lived from 1612 to 1679. He played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War and was known for his bravery and strategic prowess.
In the 19th century, Karson Sæter, a Norwegian farmer and politician, made a name for himself as a prominent figure in the Norwegian independence movement. He was born in 1827 and died in 1901.
More recently, Karson Kuhlman, an American singer and songwriter, gained popularity in the early 2000s for his work in the Christian music industry. He was born in 1978 and is still active in the music scene today.
Lastly, Karson Jákupsstovu, a Faroese politician and member of the Løgting (the Faroese parliament), has been a prominent figure in the Faroese political landscape since the early 2000s. He was born in 1973 and continues to serve in the Løgting.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karson over time
The chart below shows babies named Karson registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Karson, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 33 births in 2024, compared with 61 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karson by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karson 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 | #758 | 230 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1134 | 281 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2211 | 51 | 6 |
Geography
Where Karson is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Karson. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Karson ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #352 in 2024.
Across the UK
Karson in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#352 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 153 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#395 in 2023
5 years of NISRA records, 18 total registered
Related
Names similar to Karson
- 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
Karson: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karson in the UK right now?
In 2024, Karson was ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales, with 33 births registered.
When was Karson most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 61 babies registered as Karson in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karson?
A masculine name of Old Norse origin meaning "son of Carl.".
How many people are called Karson in the UK?
A total of 562 babies have been registered as Karson across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 153 more in Scotland and 18 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Karson most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Karson ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #352 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.