Surname Karlsson - Meaning and Origin

Karlsson: What does the surname Karlsson mean?

Karlsson is a patronymic surname of Swedish origin meaning "son of Karl." The name Karl is derived from the Old Norse name "Karl," meaning "free man" or "strong man." The suffix "son" is typical in Scandinavian surnames indicating lineage, in this case, denoting that the person is the son of a man named Karl. It should be noted that these names were typically fixed by the end of the 19th century in Scandinavia. Therefore, a person with the surname Karlsson doesn't necessarily have a father named Karl, rather they descended from someone many generations back who was named Karl. Exceptions could exist where the name was adopted for other reasons. Like other patronymic names, it emphasizes the connection and continuation of past generations.

Karlsson: Where does the name Karlsson come from?

The surname Karlsson is of Swedish origin and follows the Scandinavian tradition of patronymic naming, meaning it is derived from the name of one's father. In this case, "Karlsson" translates to "son of Karl". "Karl" is a common Swedish first name that means "free man" or "man". The use of patronymic names was common in Sweden until the late 19th century when the law required the adoption of hereditary family names.

Today, Karlsson remains a very common surname in Sweden. According to Statistics Sweden, it ranks as the third most common surname in the country. The name is also fairly common in neighboring Finland, especially among Swedish-speaking Finns. Outside of Scandinavia, the name can be found among Swedish emigrant communities, particularly in the United States. Thus, the surname has a significant presence in regions globally due to migration and diaspora, but its most concentrated locations are still within Sweden and Finland.

Variations of the surname Karlsson

The surname Karlsson is common in Sweden and is patronymic, meaning it is constructed by the addition of "-son" which means "son of" to the personal name Karl. Variations and spellings of Karlsson can include Carlsson, a spelling derivative used in Sweden. Other similar surnames of the same origin include Karlssen, Karlsen, Karlson, and Carlson, used in other Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark.

Slightly different versions might omit the extra "s" as in Carlson or Karlson. Variations may also exist in surnames in other countries, where the name Karl is translated to the local language, such as Charles in English or Carlo in Italian, leading to similar surnames like Charleson or Carleson in English speaking countries and Carlsoni in Italy.

However, despite these variations, it's important to note that similarly spelled names could originate from different roots in different languages and cultures and might not always be variants of the same name or mean "son of Karl". For example, in non-Scandinavian countries, the suffix "-son" may not necessarily imply patronymic origins.

Famous people with the name Karlsson

• Erik Karlsson: A renowned Swedish professional ice hockey player.
• William Karlsson: Another popular Swedish professional ice hockey player, unrelated to Erik.
• Anna Karlsson: Swedish author known for children's and young adult books.
• Magnus Karlsson: Swedish musician and songwriter known for his heavy metal songs.
• Kerstin Florian Karlsson: Natural skincare products founder, Swedish entrepreneur.
• Peter Karlsson: Former Swedish table tennis player who won several medals at the World Championships.
• Melker Karlsson: Yet another Swedish professional ice hockey player.
• Marie Karlsson: Swedish international footballer.
• Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (née Karlsson): Professional tennis player from Slovakia.
• Mikael Karlsson: Swedish composer of electronic, orchestral, and mixed music.
• Stefan Karlsson: Renowned Swedish jazz pianist and composer.
• Gunnar Karlsson: Icelandic historian, specializing in medieval studies.
• Nils Karlsson: Famous Swedish skier, gold medalist at 1950 Winter Olympics.
• Robert Karlsson: Professional golfer from Sweden.
• Filip Karlsson: Swedish professional footballer.
• Erik Saade (born Erik Rapp Karlsson): Swedish pop singer and songwriter.
• Tommy Karlsson: Former professional footballer from Sweden.
• Johannes Karlsson: A prominent Swedish television presenter.
• Johan Karlsson: Prominent Swedish long-distance runner.
• Jonas Karlsson: Popular Swedish actor and author.

Other surnames

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