Kleiser

The surname KLEISER is of German origin, originating in the 16th century from the southern regions of Germany. It is believed to be derived from the German word "klein," meaning small or little, and may have been an occupational name given to someone of small stature or a nickname for a young man.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KLEISER can be found in the town records of Nürnberg, where a Johann Kleiser was listed as a resident in 1587. In the nearby village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a family by the name of Kleiser is mentioned in a church registry from 1612.

The name KLEISER also appears in historical documents from the Palatinate region of Germany, where a Johann Christoph Kleiser was born in Wachenheim an der Weinstraße in 1671. He later became a renowned theologian and author, publishing several works on religious topics.

In the 18th century, the name KLEISER spread to other parts of Europe as German families migrated eastward. A notable figure was Friedrich Kleiser, born in 1792 in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland). He was a prolific writer and translator, known for his German translations of works by Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Another individual of note was Ezra Kleiser, born in 1868 in Alsace-Lorraine (then part of Germany). He emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became a successful businessman in the advertising industry, founding the Kleiser Advertising Agency in New York City.

Other notable individuals with the surname KLEISER include Wilhelm Kleiser (1840-1917), a German sculptor and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, and Gregor Kleiser (1906-1987), an Austrian author and playwright who wrote extensively about life in rural Austria.