2000
#94,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Klaehn
A German surname meaning "someone from a place called Klahn."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 269 Americans carry the last name Klaehn. That puts it at #85,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,274,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klaehn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
269
1 in 1,274,180
Census rank
#85,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
235
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 235 bearers of the surname Klaehn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 85600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klaehn
The surname KLAEHN is of German origin, traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The name is derived from the Old German word "klaen," which means "to complain" or "to lament."
One of the earliest known records of the KLAEHN surname dates back to 1587, when a merchant named Hans KLAEHN was mentioned in a trade register in the city of Lübeck. This suggests that the name may have been associated with tradesmen or merchants during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name KLAEHN appeared in several church records and municipal documents in the town of Itzehoe, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. These records provide insights into the family lineages and occupations of those bearing the KLAEHN name during that era.
Interestingly, a variant spelling of the name, "KLAHN," was found in a manuscript from the late 18th century, referencing a landowner named Johann KLAHN in the village of Altona, near Hamburg. This indicates that the name may have also been associated with landownership and agricultural pursuits.
One notable figure with the KLAEHN surname was Friedrich KLAEHN, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1793 in Kiel. He authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Kiel until his death in 1856.
Another prominent individual was Joachim KLAEHN, a German military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1785 in Rendsburg, he rose through the ranks and participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Leipzig in 1813.
In the 19th century, the surname KLAEHN also appeared in records related to the German immigration to the United States. One such individual was Heinrich KLAEHN, who arrived in New York in 1854 and later settled in Wisconsin, where he worked as a farmer.
Additionally, there was a notable artist named Erich KLAEHN, born in 1890 in Berlin. He was known for his landscape paintings and worked extensively in the German Expressionist style. His works were exhibited in galleries across Europe during the early 20th century.
While the KLAEHN surname may have originated from a word associated with complaining or lamenting, its history spans various regions, occupations, and notable individuals over several centuries, reflecting the diverse experiences of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klaehn
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Klaehn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Klaehn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 219
- Two or more races3.8% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klaehn
Klaehn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#86,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
+38 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 8,671 places
2020
#85,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 235
+18 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94,676 | 179 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,005 | 217 | 0.07 | +38 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 8,671 places |
| 2020 | #85,600 | 235 | 0.08 | +18 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 405 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Klaehn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #86,005 | #85,600 | 0.5% |
| Count | 217 | 235 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klaehn bearers went from 217 to 235 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 405 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,005 to #85,600.
FAQ
Klaehn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klaehn?
Name Census estimates that about 269 living Americans carry the surname Klaehn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,274,180 residents.
How common is Klaehn?
Klaehn ranks #85,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 235 people with the surname Klaehn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (269), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Klaehn.
Has Klaehn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klaehn went from 217 recorded bearers to 235. That is an increase of 18 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,005 to #85,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Klaehn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Klaehn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klaehn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Klaehn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Klaehn mean?
A German surname meaning "someone from a place called Klahn." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Klaehn (0.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Klaehn?
Want to know how many people are called Klaehn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.