It comes from early 4th century German origins. Used as a given name ‘Karl’ or ‘Carl’ it means man. A Middle English form was ‘ceorl’ which meant farmer or bondsman. Other given names that began the surname Carlson were: Carlo and Charles.

Additional spellings of the surname include: Carlson, Charlson, Charlesson, Charleston, Charlestone. In Danish and Norwegian it is spelled ‘Carlsen’ and in Swedish it is ‘Carlsson.’

Locations Carlson populations from lived in Sweden and Norway. In England most live in Yorkshire and London. In the United States the Carlson families live in the upper mid-west states, around Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

Most Carlson families in the 1880s have worked as farmers.

Famous: Richard Carlson (actor, television and film director and screenwriter), Don V. Carlson (professional basketball player), Veronica Carlson (English model and actress), George L. Carlson (cartoonist), Chester F. Carlson (inventor of Xerox copying), Arne Helge Carlson, Jr. (Governor of Minnesota from 1991 to 1999) and Kyle and Lane Carlson (twins who are male fashion models).