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

Kleve, 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 Kleve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleve in America

Kleve is the 35203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleve surname appeared 640 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 Kleve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleve 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 Kleve

The surname KLEVE originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the name of the city of Kleve, located in the Lower Rhine region of North Rhine-Westphalia, near the Dutch border. The name Kleve itself is believed to have its roots in the Old German word "kleben," meaning "to cleave" or "to split," possibly referring to a geographical feature or settlement location.

One of the earliest documented references to the KLEVE name can be found in the medieval records of the County of Cleves, a former state within the Holy Roman Empire. The County of Cleves played a significant role in the region's history, and its rulers, such as Duke Adolf I of Cleves (born around 1300), were influential figures.

In the 15th century, the KLEVE surname appeared in various historical records, including the Chronica Regum Poloniae, a Polish chronicle written by Jan Długosz, which mentions a nobleman named Johann von Kleve who served as a diplomat and envoy to the court of the Polish king in the late 1400s.

During the Renaissance era, the KLEVE name gained prominence through individuals such as Anna von Kleve (1515-1557), the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Although their marriage was short-lived and later annulled, Anna's legacy as a member of the royal court has been well-documented.

Another notable figure bearing the KLEVE surname was Johann Wilhelm von Kleve (1647-1718), a Baroque composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Kalkar, Germany, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, the KLEVE name was associated with the German statesman and diplomat Johann Baptist von Kleve (1785-1850), who played a crucial role in the negotiations surrounding the formation of the German Confederation after the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the KLEVE surname has also been linked to various place names and geographic locations, such as Kleve-Berg, a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Kleve Castle, a historic fortress and residence of the Dukes of Cleves.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleve

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

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

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

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