NameCensus.

UK surname

Carlson

Son of Carl, an English or Scandinavian surname derived from the personal name Carl or Karl, meaning "free man."

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Carlson surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 694, ranked #7,758, up from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Tyneside, Bury and South Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlson is 696 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 493.2%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

694

2016, ranked #7,758

Peak year

2015

696 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carlson had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 694 in 2016, ranked #7,758.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 372 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Carlson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Carlson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Carlson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carlson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 33 #27,390
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 201 #14,866
1901 historical 295 #11,783
1911 historical 372 #9,807
1997 modern 598 #8,162
1998 modern 612 #8,275
1999 modern 621 #8,253
2000 modern 615 #8,287
2001 modern 605 #8,249
2002 modern 624 #8,218
2003 modern 608 #8,244
2004 modern 595 #8,403
2005 modern 591 #8,363
2006 modern 612 #8,161
2007 modern 617 #8,184
2008 modern 638 #8,027
2009 modern 654 #8,030
2010 modern 663 #8,114
2011 modern 644 #8,215
2012 modern 645 #8,120
2013 modern 664 #8,074
2014 modern 692 #7,850
2015 modern 696 #7,745
2016 modern 694 #7,758

Geography

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Where Carlsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Cardiff St John and St Mary and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Tyneside, Bury, South Tyneside and Cheshire East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Tyneside 027 North Tyneside
2 Bury 001 Bury
3 South Tyneside 008 South Tyneside
4 Cheshire East 007 Cheshire East
5 Bury 002 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carlson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Carlson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carlson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carlson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Carlson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Carlson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Carlson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carlson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carlson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carlson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Carlson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carlson

Carlson is a Swedish surname that originated in the late 17th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the Swedish given name Carl, which is the Swedish form of Charles, and the suffix "-son" meaning "son of." The name literally means "son of Carl."

The name likely originated in the southern regions of Sweden, where the given name Carl was popular during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is possible that the earliest recorded instances of the name appeared in church records or census documents from that time period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Carlson was Johan Carlson, a Swedish soldier who fought in the Great Northern War (1700-1721) against Russia. He was born in 1683 and died in 1742.

Another notable Carlson was Anders Carlson, a Swedish explorer and fur trader who traveled to North America in the late 18th century. He was born in 1757 and died in 1821.

In the 19th century, the name Carlson began to spread to other parts of the world as Swedish immigrants settled in various countries. One of the most famous Carlsons was Chester Carlson, the American inventor who patented the process of electrophotography, which became the basis for xerography and modern photocopying. He was born in 1906 and died in 1968.

Another well-known Carlson was Evan Carlson, an American jazz musician and composer who played with many famous big bands in the 1940s and 1950s. He was born in 1919 and died in 1990.

In the 20th century, the name Carlson became especially common in the United States due to the large number of Swedish immigrants who settled there. One notable American Carlson was Brianne Carlson, an Olympic swimmer who won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The name Carlson has also been found in various spellings over the years, such as Carlsson, Karlsson, and Karlsen, reflecting the different regional dialects and linguistic variations in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carlson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 23 Carlsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 2.02x
Durham 20 5.89x
Northumberland 17 10.01x
Lancashire 11 0.81x
Surrey 9 1.62x
Yorkshire 6 0.53x
Kent 5 1.28x
Monmouthshire 5 6.06x
Renfrewshire 5 5.65x
Northamptonshire 3 2.80x
Westmorland 3 11.96x
Glamorgan 2 1.01x
Cheshire 1 0.40x
Devon 1 0.42x
Gloucestershire 1 0.45x
Lanarkshire 1 0.27x
Lincolnshire 1 0.55x
Midlothian 1 0.65x
Norfolk 1 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elswick in Northumberland leads with 12 Carlsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.56x.

Place Total Index
Elswick 12 88.56x
Sunderland 7 116.67x
Westoe 7 36.38x
Bermondsey 6 17.66x
Liverpool 6 7.30x
Mile End Old Town London 6 24.70x
Neilston 5 112.61x
Westminster St James 5 42.63x
Asby 3 1578.95x
Hammersmith London 3 10.67x
Hampstead London 3 16.88x
Newport 3 76.14x
Potterspury 3 697.67x
South Shields 3 99.34x
Cardiff St Mary 2 18.28x
Chester Le Street 2 76.63x
Everton 2 4.63x
Kirkdale 2 8.78x
Lewisham 2 9.63x
Southcoates 2 31.85x
St Marylebone London 2 3.28x
St Woollos 2 21.72x
West Horsley 2 869.57x
Barony 1 1.07x
Birkenhead 1 4.98x
Bristol 1 476.19x
Cheriton 1 62.89x
Cottingham 1 40.98x
Cramond 1 86.21x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.33x
Diss 1 66.67x
Earsdon 1 72.46x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 4.35x
Holy Trinity 1 3.68x
Kensington London 1 1.58x
Little Bavington 1 3333.33x
Longbenton 1 13.91x
Middlesbrough 1 6.79x
Milton In Gravesend 1 17.12x
Nottingham Standard 1 256.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 5.46x
Poplar London 1 4.64x
Ropsley 1 400.00x
Shadwell London 1 31.35x
Southwark St Saviour 1 17.06x
Stranton 1 8.75x
Toxteth Park 1 2.18x
Tynemouth 1 11.00x
Westgate 1 9.51x
Whitechapel London 1 8.89x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Carlson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Margaret 4
Elizabeth 3
Maria 3
Sarah 3
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Terasa 2
Alevia 1
Alice 1
Anderea 1
Arabella 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Ellen 1
Emilie 1
Georgiana 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Hilma 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Josephina 1
Laura 1
Marian 1
Marie 1
Mary 1
Maude 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Carlson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Carl 4
John 4
William 4
Johan 3
Edward 2
Gustav 2
Henry 2
Matthew 2
Olaf 2
Oscar 2
Thomas 2
A. 1
Abraham 1
Adolf 1
Adolph 1
Albert 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Auga 1
August 1
Axel 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Christian 1
Daniel 1
David 1
E.O. 1
Erick 1
Frantz 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Gusta 1
Herbert 1
Jonas 1
Julius 1
L. 1
Mick 1
Orlow 1
Otto 1
Peter 1
Rafael 1
Robert 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Carlson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carlson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Carlson surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carlson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 694 in 2016. That gives Carlson a modern rank of #7,758.

What does the Carlson surname mean?

Son of Carl, an English or Scandinavian surname derived from the personal name Carl or Karl, meaning "free man."

What does the Carlson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Carlson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.