NameCensus.

UK surname

Karlsen

An occupational surname meaning a person from the village of Karls.

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Karlsen surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, up from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Knowsley and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Karlsen is 131 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3100.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

2010

131 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Karlsen had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Karlsen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Karlsen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Karlsen 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
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1901 historical 23 #31,466
1911 historical 21 #31,179
1997 modern 88 #28,611
1998 modern 87 #29,240
1999 modern 92 #28,833
2000 modern 90 #29,068
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 114 #26,796
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Karlsens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Knowsley, Sheffield and Eastleigh. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 022 Wirral
2 Knowsley 010 Knowsley
3 Wirral 001 Wirral
4 Sheffield 041 Sheffield
5 Eastleigh 013 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Karlsen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Karlsen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Karlsen, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Karlsen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Karlsen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Karlsen is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Karlsen 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

Karlsen falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Karlsen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Karlsen

The surname Karlsen is of Scandinavian origin, tracing its roots back to Norway and Sweden. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the male given name Karl, which itself has Germanic roots and is a variation of the name Charles.

In the early Middle Ages, when surnames began to emerge, patronymic names were commonly formed by adding the suffix "-sen" to the father's given name, indicating "son of." Thus, Karlsen would have initially referred to the son of a man named Karl.

The name can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards, particularly in Norway and Sweden. It is believed that the earliest recorded instances of the name appeared in Norwegian parish registers and census records from the late medieval period.

One notable early bearer of the Karlsen surname was Thorbjørn Karlsen, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the mid-14th century and whose name appears in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents.

In the 16th century, the name Karlsen was associated with several prominent figures in Scandinavian history. Erik Karlsen (c. 1510-1582) was a Swedish military commander who played a significant role in the Northern Seven Years' War against Denmark. Meanwhile, Jens Karlsen (1545-1612) was a Norwegian merchant and shipowner based in Bergen.

Other notable individuals bearing the Karlsen surname include Hans Karlsen (1668-1745), a Danish-Norwegian painter known for his portraits of the Danish royal family, and Henning Karlsen (1795-1879), a Norwegian politician and jurist who served as the Prime Minister of Norway from 1860 to 1862.

In more recent times, the name Karlsen has been carried by several accomplished individuals across various fields. Tor Karlsen (1920-2006) was a Norwegian journalist and author who wrote extensively about Norwegian culture and history. Knut Karlsen (born 1958) is a contemporary Norwegian author and screenwriter, best known for his novel "Møllemann" published in 2007.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Karlsen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Karlsen 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. Cheshire leads with 2 Karlsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.31x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 2 23.31x
Middlesex 1 2.57x
Yorkshire 1 2.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birkenhead in Cheshire leads with 1 Karlsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.06x.

Place Total Index
Birkenhead 1 147.06x
Holy Trinity 1 107.53x
Poplar London 1 136.99x
Wallasey 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Allatte 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
... 1
August 1
Martin 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Karlsen households.

FAQ

Karlsen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Karlsen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Karlsen surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Karlsen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Karlsen a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Karlsen surname mean?

An occupational surname meaning a person from the village of Karls.

What does the Karlsen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Karlsen 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.