Carlson
Carlson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Carl"; it is rarely used as a given name and there are variations to its spelling.
Meaning & Origin of Carlson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carlson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Carl"; it is rarely used as a given name and there are variations to its spelling.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Carlson
Carlson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1920, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 19 Carlsons were born — ranking #4,943 that year. As of 2026, Carlson ranks #6,086 for baby boys with 14 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 770 Carlsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Carlson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carlson
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About the name Carlson
Carlson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 770 births in the dataset. Carlson's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #2,277. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.