As an English word it has been characterized as a nickname or form of Lawrence. In Sweden the surname is Larsson, originally from the name Lars. In Norway and Denmark it is spelled Larsen, which is also a form of Lars.

Most Larson families in the 1880s were farmers.

The places of origin for the Larson families have been Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany. In England the highest number of Larson families are in Northumberland and Lancashire counties. For Scotland, most Larson families are in Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire counties.

The states of California, Utah, Illinois and New York have the greatest percentage of the Larson population.

Famous: Brie Larson (and pop singer), Gary Larson (cartoonist), Dan Larson (professional baseball pitcher), Gustav Larson (Swedish engineer, co-founder of Volvo autos), Glen A. Larson (television writer and producer), Wolf Larson (Canadian actor), Lance Larson (Olympic swimming champion) and Cal Larson (U. S. Senator from Minnesota).