Boy · #4,132 in 2026

Karsten

Karsten or Carsten is both a masculine given name and a surname. It is believed to be either derived from a Low German form of Christian, or "man from karst". Notable persons with the name include:

Current Rank
#4,132
Peak Rank
#1,242 (2010)
Total Babies
3K
5-Yr Trend
-50%
1972
First Year
2019
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#6844
Peak Rank
167
Total Count
23
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Karsten

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Karsten or Carsten is both a masculine given name and a surname. It is believed to be either derived from a Low German form of Christian, or "man from karst". Notable persons with the name include:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Karsten

Karsten first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1950, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 135 Karstens were born — ranking #1,284 that year. As of 2026, Karsten ranks #4,132 for baby boys with 26 births, falling sharply (-50%). In total, more than 3K Karstens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Karsten

Phonetically similar names — useful when Karsten 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 Karsten

What does the name Karsten mean?
Karsten or Carsten is both a masculine given name and a surname. It is believed to be either derived from a Low German form of Christian, or "man from karst". Notable persons with the name include:
How popular is Karsten in 2026?
In 2026, Karsten ranks #4,132 among boys' names in the U.S., with 26 babies given the name that year.
When was Karsten most popular?
Karsten reached its peak popularity in 2010, ranking #1,242 that year with 135 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Karsten most popular?
Karsten has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Karsten.
Is Karsten a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Karsten is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Karsten?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Karsten include Loring, Arnett, Sammuel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Karsten

Karsten is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Karsten's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #1,242. Use the chart and map above to compare Karsten's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.