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

Klaus, 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 Klaus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klaus in America

Klaus is the 6388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klaus surname appeared 5,328 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Klaus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klaus 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 Klaus

The surname Klaus originates from Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "Klause," which means a secluded valley or remote place, often referring to a hermit's dwelling. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname given to someone who lived in such a secluded location.

The earliest known record of the surname Klaus dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various German chronicles and municipal records. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Heinrich Klaus, a landowner mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne in 1287.

Over the centuries, the name spread across various regions of Germany, with variations in spelling such as Claus, Clauss, and Klauß. In some areas, the name was also associated with place names, such as Klausdorf (Klaus village) or Klausbach (Klaus stream).

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Klaus include Johannes Klaus (1499-1567), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation in Nuremberg. Another prominent bearer of the name was Christian Friedrich Klaus (1737-1810), a German botanist and professor at the University of Halle.

Other notable individuals with the surname Klaus include:

1. Rudolf Klaus (1876-1949), a German architect known for his work on the Reichsbank building in Berlin.
2. Günther Klaus (1892-1944), a German general during World War II.
3. Carl Klaus (1904-1998), an American author and professor of English at the University of Iowa.
4. Werner Klaus (1910-1995), a German physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to radar technology.
5. Václav Klaus (born 1941), a Czech economist and politician who served as the second President of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013.

The surname Klaus, with its German origins and historical presence across various regions, has left a lasting mark on the cultural and societal fabric of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klaus

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

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

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

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