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

Kleinman, 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 Kleinman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleinman in America

Kleinman is the 9607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleinman surname appeared 3,383 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kleinman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleinman 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 Kleinman

The surname Kleinman is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a combination of the German words "klein," meaning small or little, and "man," which refers to a person or individual. This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone of small stature or as a means of distinguishing between individuals with the same first name.

The earliest recorded instances of the Kleinman surname can be found in various German regional records from the 13th and 14th centuries. These include references to individuals such as Hermann Kleinmann from Cologne in 1287 and Konrad Kleinman from Nuremberg in 1341. The name also appeared in its variations, such as Kleynman and Cleinman, reflecting regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

Kleinman is a common surname in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, where it is believed to have originated. It is also found in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada. Some notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Rabbi Milton Steinberg (1903-1950), an American philosopher, theologian, and author of influential works such as "As a Driven Leaf."
2. Marvin Kleinman (1928-2022), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Children's Cancer Fund.
3. Eugene Kleinman (1923-2008), an American abstract expressionist painter known for his vibrant and gestural works.
4. Carl Kleinman (1869-1940), a German-born American businessman and co-founder of the Kleinman Realty Company in New York City.
5. Hans Kleinman (1892-1979), a German artist and sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from rural life.

While the Kleinman name is primarily associated with German ancestry, it has also been adopted by families of other ethnicities over time. However, its origins can be traced back to the linguistic roots of the German language and the naming traditions of the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleinman

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

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

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

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