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

Klessig, 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 Klessig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klessig in America

Klessig is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klessig surname appeared 280 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 Klessig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klessig 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 Klessig

The surname KLESSIG is of German origin, with its earliest recorded instances found in the southern regions of modern-day Germany during the late medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the German word "Klesse," which referred to a small clump or thicket of trees or bushes, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided near such a wooded area or copse.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KLESSIG name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This reference suggests that the KLESSIG family had established roots in the region by this time.

In the 15th century, the KLESSIG name can be found in various records from the city of Nuremberg, a prominent center of trade and commerce during the Renaissance era. It is possible that members of the KLESSIG family were involved in the thriving merchant culture of this city, contributing to its economic and cultural prosperity.

As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Klessig, Klessick, and Klessich. These variations likely stemmed from local dialects and the preferences of individual families or scribes recording the name.

One notable bearer of the KLESSIG surname was Johann Klessig, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1587 in the city of Wittenberg. Klessig was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation movement and authored several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the KLESSIG name found its way to the New World, with records indicating that a family bearing this surname settled in the American colony of Pennsylvania in the 1730s. Johannes Klessig, born in 1701 in the German town of Karlsruhe, was among the early KLESSIG immigrants to the American colonies.

Another significant figure with the KLESSIG surname was Karl Klessig, a German painter and artist born in 1811 in the city of Dresden. Klessig's landscapes and portraits were widely acclaimed during his lifetime, and his works can be found in several prominent art museums throughout Europe.

As the KLESSIG family dispersed across various regions and countries, the name continued to evolve, with some branches adopting alternative spellings such as Klessick or Klessich. However, the core roots of the name and its Germanic origins remained intact, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klessig

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

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

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

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