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

Klekar, 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 Klekar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klekar in America

Klekar is the 99378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klekar surname appeared 182 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 Klekar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klekar 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 Klekar

The surname KLEKAR is believed to have originated in Croatia in the 13th century. It is derived from the Croatian word "klekati," which means "to kneel." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who worked as a church official or held a religious position that required kneeling during prayer or ceremonies.

One of the earliest known references to the KLEKAR name can be found in a Croatian church record from the year 1289, where a man named Petar KLEKAR is mentioned as a member of the clergy. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, the KLEKAR name appears in several land records from the Dalmatian region of Croatia, indicating that members of the family had acquired property and likely held positions of prominence within their local communities.

One notable individual with the KLEKAR surname was Ivan KLEKAR, a Croatian humanist scholar who lived from 1490 to 1562. He was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts into Croatian.

During the 16th century, the KLEKAR name also appeared in records from the city of Dubrovnik, which was an important center of trade and culture in the region. A merchant named Nikola KLEKAR, born in 1523, is mentioned in several documents related to the city's maritime trade activities.

In the 17th century, a military officer named Marko KLEKAR (1612-1684) achieved recognition for his service in the Croatian military during the wars against the Ottoman Empire. He is recorded as having participated in several significant battles and is credited with helping to defend Croatian territories from Ottoman invasion.

As the KLEKAR name spread beyond Croatia, it also appeared in records from neighboring regions, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. One notable individual from this area was Petar KLEKAR (1795-1876), a Bosnian Franciscan friar and scholar who wrote extensively on the history and culture of the region.

Throughout its long history, the KLEKAR surname has maintained its Croatian roots and continues to be most commonly found in regions with significant Croatian populations. While many variations in spelling and pronunciation have emerged over time, the core meaning and origin of the name remain closely tied to its religious and cultural roots in medieval Croatia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klekar

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

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

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

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