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

Kleeman, 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 Kleeman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleeman in America

Kleeman is the 22056th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleeman surname appeared 1,175 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 Kleeman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleeman 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 Kleeman

The surname Kleeman has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "klein," meaning small or little, and "man," which translates to a person or individual. As a result, the name Kleeman likely referred to someone of small stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the town records of Bamberg, Bavaria, in 1578, where a certain Hans Kleemann is mentioned as a local resident. It's probable that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname to distinguish individuals within the community.

In the 17th century, the Kleeman name can be found in various German-speaking regions, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Silesia. During this period, the spelling variations "Kleemann" and "Kleman" were also commonly used.

A notable figure from this era was Johann Kleemann (1668-1743), a German botanist and explorer. He was born in Nuremberg and is best known for his work on the flora of Russia and Persia, having participated in several expeditions to these regions.

As the Kleeman family spread across Europe, the name also appeared in other countries. In the late 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the spelling "Kleeman" became more prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States dates back to the 1840s, when several Kleeman families immigrated from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Among these early immigrants was August Kleeman (1822-1898), a farmer who settled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

Another notable individual with the Kleeman surname was Alfred Kleeman (1849-1913), a German-American businessman and inventor. He was born in Hanover, Germany, and later emigrated to the United States, where he established the Kleeman & Company, a successful manufacturing firm in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent figures with the Kleeman name was Ralph Kleeman (1909-1995), an American cartoonist and illustrator. He was best known for his work in the New Yorker magazine, where he contributed numerous cartoons and illustrations over several decades.

The surname Kleeman continues to be found in various parts of the world, including Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and other countries with significant German or Dutch immigrant populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleeman

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

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

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

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