Find out how popular the last name Clauss is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Clauss.

Clauss, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Clauss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clauss in America

Clauss is the 15806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clauss surname appeared 1,842 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Clauss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clauss to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Clauss

The surname Clauss is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the nickname "Klaus," which itself is a shortened form of the name Nikolaus, or Nicholas in English. This nickname gained popularity in the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.

Clauss is a variation of the surname Claus, which is believed to have originated from the Low German or Middle Low German word "klous," meaning "scholar" or "learned person." It is likely that the surname was initially given to individuals who were associated with scholarly pursuits or had a reputation for being knowledgeable.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Clauss can be found in the Bürgermatrikel (Citizen Registry) of the city of Nuremberg, which dates back to the 15th century. This historical document records the names of citizens and their occupations, providing valuable insights into the origins and spread of various surnames.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Clauss was Johann Clauss (c. 1520-1592), a German cartographer and engraver from Nuremberg. His work included the creation of detailed maps and illustrations, many of which were used in various publications of the time.

Another prominent individual was Andreas Clauss (1636-1706), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and was known for his contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.

During the 17th century, the surname Clauss was also associated with the Amish and Mennonite communities in Switzerland and parts of Germany. One such example is Jacob Clauss (c. 1660-1736), an Amish leader and minister who played a significant role in the early development of the Amish faith.

In the 19th century, Johann Gottfried Clauss (1820-1889) was a German-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the successful J.G. Clauss Shear Company in Fremont, Ohio, which produced high-quality shears and scissors.

Throughout history, variations of the surname Clauss have been found in different regions, including Claus, Klauß, and Klausse. These variations often reflect local dialectal influences or spelling preferences, but they all share a common origin and meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clauss

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Clauss.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Clauss was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Clauss has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Clauss was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Clauss, please contact us.

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