Find out how popular the last name Closs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Closs.
A surname derived from the English word "close," referring to someone who lived near an enclosed area or courtyard.
Closs, 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 Closs surname is from the 2010 census data.
Closs is the 26313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Closs surname appeared 928 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Closs.
We can also compare 2010 data for Closs 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 26313 | 24529 | 7.02% |
| Count | 928 | 955 | -2.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.35 | -12.12% |
The surname Closs is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "klos," which means "a lump" or "a ball," and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Closs can be found in the tax records of the town of Halberstadt, dated around 1350. These records mention a certain "Hans Closs," who was a local landowner. The name also appears in several medieval manuscripts from the region, indicating its widespread use during that period.
In the 15th century, the Closs family gained prominence in the city of Leipzig, where they were involved in the textile trade. Johann Closs (1445-1521), a prominent merchant and banker, is considered one of the earliest notable figures bearing this surname. His son, Hans Closs (1478-1543), was a respected scholar and humanist who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Closs name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. One notable figure from this period was Friedrich Closs (1591-1658), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a minister in the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).
In the 18th century, the Closs family established itself in the region of Silesia, which was then part of Prussia. Johann Gottfried Closs (1725-1798) was a renowned philosopher and educator who founded several schools in the region. His son, Karl Friedrich Closs (1761-1838), was a prolific writer and translator who contributed to the spread of German literature.
As the surname Closs spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable figure from the 19th century was Wilhelm Closs (1832-1901), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago, including the Old Colony Building and the Rookery Building.
Throughout its history, the surname Closs has been associated with various professions, ranging from scholars and educators to merchants and artisans. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since become widespread and can be found in various parts of the world.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Closs.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Closs was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 80.71% | 749 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 12.50% | 116 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.83% | 17 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 2.91% | 27 |
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 Closs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.71% | 83.98% | -3.97% |
| Black | 12.50% | 10.26% | 19.68% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.63% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.83% | 1.78% | 2.77% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.15% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 2.91% | 2.20% | 27.79% |
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 Closs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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