2000
#13,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,054
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Klima
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from a nickname meaning "strong grip" or referring to a person with a limp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,043 Americans carry the last name Klima. That puts it at #15,770 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,770 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klima surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 167,770
Census rank
#15,770
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,782 bearers of the surname Klima in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15770th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klima, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klima
The surname Klima has its origins in the Czech Republic, with records dating back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Czech word "klima," meaning "climate" or "weather," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked outdoors or were involved in weather-related occupations.
The earliest known record of the name Klima can be found in a document from 1487 in the town of Litomyšl, where a man named Vaclav Klima was mentioned as a landowner. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the name in the region.
In the 16th century, the Klima surname appeared in various Czech regions, including Bohemia and Moravia. One notable figure from this period was Jan Klima, a renowned printer and publisher who lived from 1522 to 1598 in Prague. His work played a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge during the Renaissance era.
As the centuries progressed, the Klima name spread across Central Europe, with records indicating its presence in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia. In the 18th century, a notable individual named Josef Klima (1725-1798) was a celebrated composer and violinist from the city of Brno, now part of the Czech Republic.
Moving into the 19th century, the Klima surname gained recognition through the work of Antonín Klima (1839-1923), a Czech writer and journalist who actively contributed to the Czech National Revival movement. His literary works and advocacy for Czech culture and language left a lasting impact on the nation's cultural identity.
Another prominent figure with the Klima surname was Frantisek Klima (1876-1941), a Czech politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice in the Czechoslovak government from 1926 to 1929. He played a crucial role in shaping the country's legal system during the early years of the Czechoslovak Republic.
While the Klima name has its roots in the Czech lands, it has also been found in various other European countries over the centuries, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped the continent's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klima
Among Census respondents with the surname Klima, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Klima bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Klima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,656
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 55
- Two or more races2.7% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klima
Klima appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,168
+114 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 366 places
2020
#15,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,782
-386 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 1,844 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,560 | 2,054 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,926 | 2,168 | 0.73 | +114 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 366 places |
| 2020 | #15,770 | 1,782 | 0.60 | -386 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 1,844 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Klima surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,926 | #15,770 | -13.2% |
| Count | 2,168 | 1,782 | -17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.60 | -18.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klima bearers went from 2,168 to 1,782 (-17.8% change). The surname moved down 1,844 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,926 to #15,770.
FAQ
Klima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klima?
Name Census estimates that about 2,043 living Americans carry the surname Klima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,770 residents.
How common is Klima?
Klima ranks #15,770 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,782 people with the surname Klima. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,043), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Klima.
Has Klima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klima went from 2,168 recorded bearers to 1,782. That is a decrease of 386 (-17.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,926 to #15,770.
What does the Census say about the background of Klima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klima, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Klima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Klima (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Klima mean?
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from a nickname meaning "strong grip" or referring to a person with a limp. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Klima (0.60 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Klima?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.