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Karlsson in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Karlsson is a Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning "son of Karl" or "Karl's son". It is one of the most common surnames in Sweden and has a number of alternative spellings. Apart from Karlsson, Carlsson is the most common spelling variation. Karlson and Carlson also exist, but are uncommon, as are Carlzon and Qarlsson (Annika Qarlsson). The parallel Danish-Norwegian forms are Karlsen and Carlsen.
The surname is also found in Iceland, where it is not strictly a surname, but a patronymic.
Geographical distribution
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As of 2014, 92.3% of all known bearers of the surname Karlsson were residents of Sweden, 2.8% of Finland and 1.2% of Norway.
In Sweden, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:52) in the following counties:
- Kalmar (1:21)
- Kronoberg (1:24)
- Östergötland (1:28)
- Blekinge (1:29)
- Örebro (1:32)
- Jönköping (1:33)
- Södermanland (1:33)
- Värmland (1:37)
- Halland (1:38)
- Västra Götaland (1:44)
In Finland, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:945) in the following regions:
- Åland (1:25)
- Southwest Finland (1:344)
- Ostrobothnia (region) (1:593)
- Uusimaa (1:724)
- Allan Karlsson (skier) (1911–1991), Swedish cross country skier
- Allan Karlsson (footballer), Swedish former footballer
- Anders Carlsson (politician) (born 1951), Swedish social democratic politician
- Anders Karlsson (physicist) (born 1964), Swedish physicist
- Andreas Karlsson (born 1975), Swedish ice hockey player
- Ann-Ewa Karlsson (born 1955), Swedish Olympic high jumper
- Ann-Marie Karlsson (born 1968), Swedish cross country skier
- Arne Karlsson (sailor) (born 1936), Swedish sailboat racer
- Arne Karlsson (sport shooter) (born 1946), Swedish sports shooter
- Arvid Carlsson (1923–2018), Swedish neuroscientist, Nobel Prize in 2000
- Åsa Karlsson (born 1973), Swedish politician
- Åsa-Britt Karlsson (born 1957), Swedish politician
- Fred Karlsson (born 1946), Finnish professor of general linguistics
- Magnus Karlsson (speedway rider) (born 1981), Swedish speedway rider
- Magnus Karlsson (bandy) (born 1984), Swedish bandy player
- Magnus Karlsson (musician) (born 1973), guitarist with heavy metal band Primal Fear
- Mandel Karlsson (since 1932), alias 91:an Karlsson, Swedish cartoon character in 91:an
- Maria Karlsson (footballer, born 1983), Swedish footballer
- Maria Karlsson (footballer, born 1985), Swedish footballer
- Markus Karlsson (footballer, born 1972), Swedish football (soccer) player for Djurgården
- Markus Karlsson (footballer, born 1979), Swedish football (soccer) player for Degerfors and AIK
- Markus Karlsson (footballer, born 2004), Swedish football (soccer) player for Hammarby
- Markus Karlsson (ice hockey) (born 1988), Swedish ice hockey defenceman
- Mikael Karlsson (born 1976, "Mikael Max" since 2003), Swedish speedway rider
- Mikael Karlsson, better known as Vigilante Carlstroem, guitarist of the Swedish rock band The Hives