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

Kleman, 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 Kleman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleman in America

Kleman is the 23978th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleman surname appeared 1,052 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 Kleman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleman 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 Kleman

The surname Kleman originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "klein," meaning small or little, and was likely used as a descriptive surname for someone of short stature or a younger person. The name may also have been influenced by the Low German word "klemen," which means to pinch or squeeze.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kleman surname can be found in the town of Nürnberg, Germany, where a man named Hans Kleman was listed in municipal records from the year 1487. Another early record comes from the town of Augsburg, where a Peter Kleman was mentioned in a church register from 1502.

In the 16th century, the surname Kleman began appearing in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Rhineland. During this time, the name was also spelled in various ways, such as Kleeman, Kleemann, and Klemm, reflecting regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions.

One notable figure with the Kleman surname was Johann Kleman (1589-1663), a German theologian and writer who served as a pastor in the town of Zittau, Saxony. He published several works on religious subjects and was known for his sermons and biblical commentaries.

Another individual of note was Gottfried Kleman (1722-1789), a German painter and engraver who was born in Nürnberg. He is best known for his landscape paintings and etchings, which captured the natural beauty of the German countryside.

In the 19th century, the Kleman surname spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas due to emigration. One prominent individual from this time was Carl Kleman (1838-1912), a Swedish industrialist and inventor who pioneered the use of the electrochemical process for the production of bleaching agents.

While the Kleman surname has its roots in Germany, it has since been adopted by families in various countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond. Some other notable individuals with this surname include American baseball player Bob Kleman (1922-1998), Australian politician John Kleman (1936-2021), and Canadian author and journalist Sabrina Kleman (born 1974).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleman

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

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

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

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