Etymology Explorer › Norwegian

Where does “Karlsen” come from?

Karlsen (Norwegian) comes from Norwegian Karl, from Old Norse Karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.

Ancestry of “Karlsen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1NorwegianKarl—
2Old NorseKarl—
3Proto-Norseᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ—
4Proto-Germanickarilazfree man, franklin; little man, young man
5Proto-Germanickaraz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵerh₂-to grow old, to mature
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →