# Carlson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/carlson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic, of Scandinavian origin.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Danish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 120,552 |
| US rank (2010) | 252 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,561 people |
| Change since 2000 | +0.4% (120,124 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | Carlsen |

## Etymology

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

## Who carries it

Share of people named Carlson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 95% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 0.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Carlson in the United States and Germany.

## People named Carlson

- Tucker Carlson, American conservative political commentator (born 1969)
- Chester Carlson, American physicist (1906-1968)
- Amy Carlson, American actress
- Gretchen Carlson, American broadcast journalist, author, television personality and female empowerment advoc
- Richard Carlson, American actor, television and film director, and screenwriter (1912–1977)
- John Carlson, American ice hockey player
- Frank Carlson, American politician who served as the 30th Governor of Kansas (1893–1987)
- Jessica Carlson, American actress
- Linda Carlson, actress
- Carolyn Carlson, American dancer
- Dylan Carlson, American guitarist
- Leslie Carlson, American actor (1933-2014)

and 13 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Carlsen, Charles, Carlisle, Carlos, Charleston, Carlock, Carlstrom, Carolus, Corrales, Corliss, Carlucci, Charlesworth.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.