Herkunft & Geschichte

Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Karl', the Swedish form of Charles — from the Old High German 'Karl', meaning 'free man' or 'man of the common people'. The given name Karl was borne by numerous Swedish kings, including Karl IX, Karl X Gustav, Karl XI, and Karl XII, which dramatically boosted its popularity among ordinary Swedes. The fictional character Karlsson-on-the-Roof, created by Astrid Lindgren, made the surname internationally recognisable. Karlsson ranks consistently as the third most common surname in Sweden.