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

Klass, 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 Klass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klass in America

Klass is the 16728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klass surname appeared 1,710 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 Klass.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klass 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 Klass

The surname KLASS is of German origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Klasse," meaning "class" or "rank," which suggests that the name may have been given to someone who belonged to a particular social class or rank.

The earliest recorded instance of the name KLASS can be found in the parish records of the town of Wittenberg, Germany, in the year 1587. Here, a man named Hans KLASS is mentioned as a merchant and landowner.

In the 17th century, the name KLASS started to spread across different regions of Germany. In the town of Augsburg, there is a record of a family with the surname KLASS living in the area in the year 1643.

During the 18th century, the name KLASS was also documented in various parts of the German-speaking world, including Switzerland and Austria. One notable example is Johann KLASS, a Swiss painter and engraver who lived from 1725 to 1798.

As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the name KLASS was transported to different countries. In the 19th century, there are records of individuals with the surname KLASS living in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Some notable individuals with the surname KLASS throughout history include:

1. Hans KLASS (1587 - unknown), a merchant and landowner from Wittenberg, Germany.
2. Johann KLASS (1725 - 1798), a Swiss painter and engraver.
3. Wilhelm KLASS (1801 - 1868), a German philosopher and educator.
4. Karl KLASS (1832 - 1892), a German-American businessman and philanthropist.
5. Meredith KLASS (1873 - 1947), an American author and playwright.

The surname KLASS has also been associated with various place names, such as Klasdorf (meaning "Klass Village") in Germany, and the town of Klashorst in the Netherlands.

While the name KLASS is not among the most common surnames in the world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the cultural and social dynamics of the regions where it originated and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klass

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

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

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

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