2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Klaer
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a tailor or seamstress.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Klaer. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klaer 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Klaer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klaer
The surname Klaer is of German origin, deriving from the Old German word "klär" or "klar", meaning "clear" or "bright". This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name in the Middle Ages, referring to someone with a bright complexion or perhaps someone who worked with clear substances, such as glass or water.
The earliest recorded instances of the Klaer surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Klarer" or "Klahr".
One notable early bearer of this name was Hans Klaer, a glassblower from Nuremberg who lived in the late 15th century. His craft likely contributed to the association of the name with clarity and transparency.
In the 16th century, the Klaer surname appeared in several historical records, such as the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German towns and villages. For instance, a certain Johann Klaer was mentioned in the records of Augsburg in 1532.
As the surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it also took on variations in spelling, including "Klär", "Klähr", and "Klehr". Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or pronunciation differences.
One prominent figure with the Klaer surname was Johann Friedrich Klaer, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1687 in Saxony. He made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and natural law theory.
In the 18th century, the Klaer name was also found in Switzerland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Klähr" or "Kleer". A notable Swiss bearer of this name was Jakob Klaer (1738-1812), a renowned watchmaker from Geneva.
Another noteworthy individual with the Klaer surname was Carl Friedrich Klaer, a German painter and engraver born in 1778 in Dresden. His works, particularly his engravings, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
As the surname spread beyond Germany and Switzerland, it also found its way into other European countries and eventually to other parts of the world through migration and emigration. However, the earliest recorded instances and most prominent bearers of the Klaer name can be traced back to its German origins and the meaning associated with clarity and brightness.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klaer
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Klaer 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 Klaer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klaer
Klaer 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,502 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 18,502 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,080 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 Klaer 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 | #144,141 | #147,221 | -2.1% |
| Count | 115 | 113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klaer bearers went from 115 to 113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,221.
FAQ
Klaer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klaer?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Klaer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Klaer?
Klaer ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Klaer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Klaer.
Has Klaer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klaer went from 115 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Klaer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klaer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Klaer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klaer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Klaer (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 Klaer mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a tailor or seamstress. 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 Klaer (0.04 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 Klaer?
Find out how common the surname Klaer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.