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

Kleine, 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 Kleine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleine in America

Kleine is the 18858th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleine surname appeared 1,450 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 Kleine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleine 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 Kleine

The surname Kleine originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "klein," meaning "small" or "little." The name likely referred to a person's physical stature or perhaps their status in society.

In the 13th century, the Kleine name appeared in various Bavarian records, suggesting that the name may have roots in that region. Some historical documents from the time mention individuals with similar spellings, such as Kleyne and Kleiner.

The Kleine surname can be found in the Bursfelder Kopiar, a 14th-century manuscript containing records of property transactions and legal agreements in the Bursfelde Abbey in Lower Saxony. This manuscript includes references to individuals with the Kleine surname, indicating their presence in the area during that period.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Kleine name was Hans Kleine, a merchant from Hamburg who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in the trade of textiles and spices between the Hanseatic cities and the Netherlands.

In the 16th century, Johannes Kleine, a Lutheran theologian and philosopher, made significant contributions to the Protestant Reformation. Born in 1556 in Saxony, he authored several works on theology and philosophy, including "De Ecclesia" (On the Church) and "De Fide" (On Faith).

During the 17th century, the Kleine family gained prominence in the arts. Johann Friedrich Kleine, a German painter and engraver born in 1635 in Dresden, was known for his portraits and religious works. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Germany.

In the realm of literature, Johann Gottlieb Kleine, a German poet and playwright, was born in 1766 in Saxony. He is best known for his satirical plays and comedies, which often criticized the social and political climate of his time.

Another notable figure with the Kleine surname was Carl Kleine, a German film producer and distributor who lived from 1869 to 1938. He played a significant role in the early years of the German film industry, establishing his own production company and distributing films both domestically and internationally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleine

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

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

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

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