Karlin Family History

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from Karlin, a suburb of Pinsk in Belarus, in which the Jews formed the majority of the population until the Holocaust. A well-known Hasidic sect originated in Karlin and at one time it attracted so many followers that a (now obsolete) Russian word for ‘Hasid’ was Karliner (of Yiddish origin). It is possible that at least some people taking this surname did so because they were members of this sect and not because they were born or lived in Karlin.

German (also Kärlin): from an old pet form of the personal name Karl (see also Charles). This surname is also found in Poland.

Czech (Karlín): derivative of the personal name Karel (see Karl and Charles) formed with the possessive suffix -ín.

Slovenian: derivative of the personal name Karel or Karl formed with the augmentative suffix -in or with the German diminutive suffix -lin (compare 2 above).

Swedish: from the personal name Karl or a habitational name from any of various places called with this name + the suffix -in, a derivative of Latin -inus ‘relating to’. Compare Carlin.