2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kleinbeck
A German surname derived from the words "klein" (small) and "beck" (stream or brook), indicating someone lived near a small stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Kleinbeck. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kleinbeck 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Kleinbeck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleinbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kleinbeck
The surname Kleinbeck has its roots in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from a habitational name, referring to a small stream or brook. The prefix "klein" means "small" in German, and "beck" is derived from the Middle Low German word "beke," meaning a brook or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kleinbeck can be found in the town of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, in the year 1578. The name appeared in the town's records, where a certain Johannes Kleinbeck was mentioned as a resident.
In the 17th century, the name Kleinbeck appeared in several church records and tax rolls in various regions of Germany, including Westphalia, Rhineland, and Bavaria. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of the country by that time.
The first known individual with the surname Kleinbeck was Hans Kleinbeck, born in 1602 in the town of Düsseldorf, in the Rhineland region of Germany. He was a merchant and is recorded as having traded in various goods, including textiles and spices.
Another notable figure was Johann Kleinbeck, born in 1712 in the city of Cologne. He was a renowned theologian and philosopher, known for his works on metaphysics and religious studies. He taught at the University of Cologne for several decades and influenced many scholars of his time.
In the 19th century, the name Kleinbeck gained recognition through the works of the German painter and sculptor, Wilhelm Kleinbeck. Born in 1826 in the town of Mannheim, he studied at the prestigious Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts and became known for his landscapes and portraits.
Another notable figure was Carl Kleinbeck, born in 1858 in the city of Munich. He was a pioneering engineer and inventor, credited with developing early designs for electrical generators and motors. His contributions paved the way for advancements in the field of electrical engineering.
One of the most recent significant individuals with the surname Kleinbeck was Hans-Joachim Kleinbeck, born in 1928 in Berlin. He was a prominent German businessman and philanthropist, known for his work in the automotive industry and his support for various charitable organizations.
While the surname Kleinbeck has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly grounded in the German language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kleinbeck
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleinbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kleinbeck 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 Kleinbeck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kleinbeck
Kleinbeck 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-8 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,708 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 15,708 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 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 Kleinbeck 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 | #142,108 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kleinbeck bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Kleinbeck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kleinbeck?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Kleinbeck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Kleinbeck?
Kleinbeck ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Kleinbeck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Kleinbeck.
Has Kleinbeck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kleinbeck went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Kleinbeck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kleinbeck, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Kleinbeck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kleinbeck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Hispanic (2.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Kleinbeck (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 Kleinbeck mean?
A German surname derived from the words "klein" (small) and "beck" (stream or brook), indicating someone lived near a small stream. 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 Kleinbeck (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 Kleinbeck?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.