2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kleeves
A habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Cleves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kleeves. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kleeves 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kleeves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kleeves
The surname KLEEVES originated in the German region of Westphalia during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "kleef," which means "cliff" or "steep slope." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a prominent cliff or hillside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KLEEVES surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. In this record, a landowner named Hermann von Kleeves is mentioned in relation to a property dispute in the year 1187.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Annales Colonienses Maximi, a chronicle of the city of Cologne, where a nobleman named Gerhard von KLEEVES is referenced in connection with a military campaign in 1245.
During the 14th century, the KLEEVES surname gained prominence through the noble family of the Counts of Cleves, who ruled over the County of Cleves (modern-day Kleve) in the Lower Rhine region. One notable member of this family was Adolf I, Count of Cleves (1368-1448), who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Holy Roman Empire.
Another historically significant figure bearing the KLEEVES surname was Anna von KLEEVES (1515-1557), who became the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England in 1540. Despite their marriage being short-lived and ultimately annulled, Anna's presence at the English court left a lasting impact on the country's cultural and religious landscape.
In the realm of literature, the KLEEVES surname is associated with the German poet and dramatist Johann von KLEEVES (1589-1644), whose works were widely acclaimed during the Baroque period.
It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname has evolved over time, with variations such as Kleve, Cleve, and Cleave appearing in historical records. Additionally, the name may have been influenced by the place name Kleve, a town in the Lower Rhine region that served as the historical center of the County of Cleves.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kleeves
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kleeves 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 Kleeves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kleeves
Kleeves 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,711 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,711 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Kleeves 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kleeves bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kleeves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kleeves?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kleeves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kleeves?
Kleeves ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Kleeves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Kleeves.
Has Kleeves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kleeves went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kleeves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleeves, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Kleeves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kleeves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Kleeves (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 Kleeves mean?
A habitational surname denoting someone from a place called Cleves. 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 Kleeves (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 have the last name Kleeves?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kleeves, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.