2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klegin
An Americanized spelling of an Eastern European surname possibly of Russian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Klegin. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klegin 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Klegin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klegin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klegin
The surname KLEGIN is believed to have originated in the region of East Prussia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. The name dates back to the 16th century, and it is thought to be derived from the Prussian word "klegas," which means "forester" or "woodsman."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KLEGIN surname can be found in a land registry document from the town of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) in 1587. The document lists a man named Hans KLEGIN as the owner of a small parcel of land near the town's outskirts.
In the 17th century, the KLEGIN name appears in several church records from the villages surrounding the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk). These records suggest that the family was involved in timber-related trades, which aligns with the proposed origin of the name.
During the 18th century, the KLEGIN surname began to spread beyond East Prussia as families migrated to other parts of Europe. Notable individuals from this period include Johann KLEGIN (1712-1789), a woodcarver from the town of Insterburg (now Chernyakhovsk), who was renowned for his intricate religious sculptures.
In the 19th century, the KLEGIN name can be found in various historical documents from the German states, as well as records from the Russian Empire. One prominent figure was Karl KLEGIN (1832-1901), a merchant from the city of Memel (now Klaipėda) who established a successful trading company that exported timber and other goods throughout Europe.
As the 20th century dawned, the KLEGIN surname continued to be associated with forestry and related industries. Wilhelm KLEGIN (1878-1946), a forester from the Prussian town of Tilsit (now Sovetsk), was a pioneer in sustainable forestry practices and authored several influential books on the subject.
Throughout its history, the KLEGIN surname has maintained a strong connection to its roots in East Prussia and the forestry trade. While the name has spread to various parts of the world, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of this region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klegin
Among Census respondents with the surname Klegin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Klegin 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 Klegin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 4
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klegin
Klegin 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-10 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 7,981 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 Klegin 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 | #146,201 | #154,182 | -5.5% |
| Count | 113 | 103 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klegin bearers went from 113 to 103 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 7,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,182.
FAQ
Klegin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klegin?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Klegin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Klegin?
Klegin ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Klegin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Klegin.
Has Klegin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klegin went from 113 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Klegin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klegin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Klegin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klegin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Klegin (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 Klegin mean?
An Americanized spelling of an Eastern European surname possibly of Russian origin. 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 Klegin (0.03 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 Klegin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.