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

Klaassen, 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 Klaassen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klaassen in America

Klaassen is the 26534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klaassen surname appeared 919 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 Klaassen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klaassen 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 Klaassen

The surname Klaassen is of Dutch origin, originating in the Low Countries region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Dutch given name Klaas, a Dutch variant of the name Nicholas. The surname literally means "son of Klaas" and was initially used as a patronymic, indicating the child's relationship to their father.

Klaassen is believed to have its roots in the 12th and 13th centuries when the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in the Netherlands. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various municipal records and church registers from this time period, often spelled as Claessen or Claessens.

One of the earliest known historical references to the surname Klaassen can be found in the municipal records of the city of Leiden, dated 1385, which mentions a man named Claes Hendriksz Klaassen. Additionally, the surname appears in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from the 17th century, indicating that individuals bearing this name were involved in the maritime trade and exploration activities undertaken by the Dutch during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname Klaassen throughout history include:

1. Rembrandt Klaassen (c. 1615-1669), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his biblical and mythological scenes.

2. Hendrick Klaassen (1580-1642), a Dutch engineer and military officer who contributed to the development of fortifications and water management systems in the Netherlands.

3. Pieter Klaassen (1767-1845), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Mayor of Haarlem and played a role in the drafting of the Dutch Constitution during the Batavian Republic.

4. Gerrit Klaassen (1828-1905), a Dutch theologian and author who wrote extensively on Christian ethics and philosophy.

5. Eddy Klaassen (1942-2022), a Dutch footballer who played as a midfielder for clubs like Ajax Amsterdam and the Netherlands national team in the 1960s and 1970s.

It is worth noting that some variations of the surname also emerged over time, such as Klaasen, Klassen, and Claessen, reflecting regional linguistic variations and spelling preferences. Additionally, the surname Klaassen has been found in historical records from various regions of the Netherlands, including Friesland, Groningen, and Zuid-Holland, indicating its widespread distribution across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klaassen

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

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 Klaassen 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 Klaassen 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 Klaassen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!