Given name & surname
Karsten
“the anointed one”
Karsten is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “the anointed one.”
Original GreekΚάρστεν
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “the anointed one.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In Low German use, Karsten is used as a spelling variant of Carsten.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1950. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Karsten through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,424
- 3,252 boys · 172 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 140 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #4,194 for boys · #16,079 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −51%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 97% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 25 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,194 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 51.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 135 in 2010. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,349 as a first name in 2020; 1,939 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Karsten’s family of names
In Danish usage, Karsten has a later derivative in Karstin. In Dutch usage, Karsten has a conventional equivalent in the French form Christian. Karsten has a related form in Kiersten.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Karsten has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
6 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kierstenvariant
- Carstenvariant · German, Danish
- Karstonvariant
- Karstynvariant
- Karstinvariant · Faroese
- Keirstenvariant
- Karstunvariant
- Karstanvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Karsten
- Karsten WarholmNorwegian hurdler and sprinter (born 1996)
- Karsten KroonDutch cyclistborn 1976
- Karsten BraaschGerman tennis playerborn 1967
- Karsten SchmelingEast German rowerborn 1962
- Karsten BrannaschGerman bobsledderborn 1966
- Karsten KobsGerman hammer throwerborn 1971
- Karsten ForsterlingAustralian rowerborn 1980
- Karsten FingerGerman rowerborn 1970
- Karsten AlnæsNorwegian novelistborn 1938
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Karsten, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kallen
“a handsome man”
94% boys · 6% girls
Castor
“beaver”
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“of the Lord”
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Aeson
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Jolan
“resembling a violet flower”
>99% boys
Kyros
“a leader or master”
>99% boys
Jonan
“he will be gracious” · “Yah is gracious”
>99% boys