2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klarr
Of Slovak origin, meaning "clear" or "bright".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Klarr. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klarr 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Klarr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klarr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klarr
The surname Klarr is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to have derived from the German word "klar," which means "clear" or "bright." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a clear or bright complexion or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Klarr can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a certain Johannes Klarr was mentioned in a document dated 1472. This document, which was a record of land ownership, provides evidence of the name's existence in the late 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Klarr began to appear in various other regions of Germany, including Saxony and Thuringia. This suggests that the name may have spread from its Bavarian origins as families migrated to different parts of the country.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure named Hans Klarr (1638-1712) was born in the town of Freiberg, Saxony. He was a prominent silversmith and artisan, known for his intricate and detailed metalwork. His creations were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
Another significant bearer of the Klarr surname was Johann Klarr (1792-1876), a German composer and organist from the city of Leipzig. He is best remembered for his contributions to church music and his compositions for the organ, which were widely performed in churches across Germany during the 19th century.
In the early 20th century, the name Klarr gained some recognition through the work of Theodor Klarr (1886-1957), a German architect and urban planner. He was particularly known for his innovative designs for residential and commercial buildings in the Bauhaus style, which was popular in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s.
While the surname Klarr is not as common as some other German surnames, it has left its mark on history through the achievements and contributions of individuals like Hans Klarr, Johann Klarr, and Theodor Klarr, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klarr
Among Census respondents with the surname Klarr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Klarr 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 Klarr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klarr
Klarr appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+11 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 10,287 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 Klarr 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 | #156,044 | #145,757 | 6.6% |
| Count | 104 | 115 | 10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klarr bearers went from 104 to 115 (+10.6% change). The surname moved up 10,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #145,757.
FAQ
Klarr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klarr?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Klarr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Klarr?
Klarr ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Klarr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Klarr.
Has Klarr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klarr went from 104 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 11 (+10.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Klarr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klarr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Klarr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klarr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Klarr (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 Klarr mean?
Of Slovak origin, meaning "clear" or "bright". 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 Klarr (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 share the surname Klarr?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.