The Carlson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 120,552 people carried this name — #252 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,450 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (120,124).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Carlson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic, of Scandinavian origin.

Borrowed from Danish and Norwegian Carlsen, equivalent to Carl + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Carlson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 66 people named Carlson live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 39
Misiones 17
Corrientes 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

36 people named Carlson live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 17
Bern 5
Thurgau 5
Vaud 5
Geneva 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

2,947 people named Carlson are counted in Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 2,411
Finland (2026) 285
Norway (2025) 251

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Carlson in American newspapers,
1879–1908.

Newspaper page from The Mitchell Capital carrying the name Carlson
The Mitchell Capital 1906-11-09
Newspaper page from The Mitchell Capital carrying the name Carlson
The Mitchell Capital 1908-11-06
Newspaper page from The Silver State carrying the name Carlson
The Silver State 1879-05-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 288,174 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Carlson in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

16,042 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Carlson. The most, 4,434, date from the 1930s. Queensland has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 2.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 4,307
Western Australia 3,515
New South Wales 3,159
Victoria 2,676
South Australia 1,677
Tasmania 402
ACT (Canberra) 188
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Carlson.

Who carried it

People named Carlson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Gustavus Carlson
    Gustavus Carlson 1649–1708 · military personnel
  • Fredrik Ferdinand Carlson
    Fredrik Ferdinand Carlson 1811–1887 · writer
  • Oscar Carlson
    Oscar Carlson 1840–1864 · painter
  • Wilhelm Carlson
    Wilhelm Carlson 1841–1919 · politician
  • Oscar Carlson
    Oscar Carlson 1844–1916 · business executive

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — Wilhelm Carlson: Unknown, CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 222 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Carlson,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States16,823 records

16,823 records of the Carlson name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 4,128
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 3,992
  • Other U.S. records 8,703
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard Buck Carlson

    Born 1944; from Twin Falls, Idaho. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clifford D. Carlson

    Born 1919 in Washington. Enlisted 1942 at Tacoma; shipping clerk from King County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Tahoma National Cemetery, Washington.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Erik Carlson

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Pennsylvania from Hamburg, aged 29; clock merchant. From Stockholm, Sweden; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 16,823 records for Carlson in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia527 records

527 records of the Carlson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 195
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 139
  • Other Australian records 193
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Eva Mary Carlson

    Died 1923 in Southport, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1924.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Julius Alfred Carlson

    Died 1929 in Catamaran, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1930.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Julius Carlson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1887 aboard the Salier, aged 62; Swedish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 527 records for Carlson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada319 records

319 records of the Carlson name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 118
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 72
  • Other Canadian records 129
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Niel Carlson

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Halifax, bound for Petrolea, Ontario; Norwegian.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Raymond Erick Carlson

    Buried in 1976 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 61.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Norman Olaf Carlson

    Died 1992, aged 87; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 319 records for Carlson in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Germany59 records

59 records of the Carlson name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list August Carlson

    From Oldenburg, Holst. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 27 September 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 144).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Carlson

    From Kogel, Lauenburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 13 July 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 59 records for Carlson in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands24 records

24 records of the Carlson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 15
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 7
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Clifford Thorbold Carlson

    Married in 1945 in Bierum; farmer.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Carl Arvid Carlson

    Died 1928 in Rotterdam, aged 47.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Wilhelm Carlson

    Died 1813 in Rhenen, aged 45.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 24 records for Carlson in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Carlson name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Otto William Carlson

    Buried in 1960 at Buffalo Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 67.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gustan Thomas Ferguson Carlson

    Died 1978, aged 72; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Carlson in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Carlson name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. W. Carlson

    Bombardier, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Carlson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Carlson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Dominique Hebri Carlson

    Born 1952 in Lambersart (Nord); died 1997 in Villenave-d'Ornon (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Finland1 record

1 record of the Carlson name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1914–1922
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Vilj Carlson

    Died in 1918, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922; farmer.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Carlson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Carlson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Carlson volume
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