2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klimo
A surname derived from the Greek word klimax, meaning 'ladder' or 'staircase'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Klimo. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klimo 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Klimo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klimo
The surname KLIMO has its origins in the Slavic regions of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in present-day Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name KLIMO is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word "klim," which means "mild" or "gentle." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone with a calm or peaceful demeanor. Alternatively, it could also be related to the Slavic word "klimat," meaning "climate" or "weather," possibly indicating an association with the natural environment or a specific geographic region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KLIMO surname can be found in the Liber Fundationis Episcopatus Vratislaviensis, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century that documented the properties and landholdings of the Bishopric of Wrocław in Poland. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Climon" and "Klimon," reflecting the linguistic variations prevalent during that time.
In the 15th century, the name KLIMO was associated with a notable figure, Jan Klimo, a Czech scholar and rector of the University of Prague, who lived from approximately 1420 to 1480. His contributions to the field of education and academia helped establish the surname's recognition within the intellectual circles of the time.
Another prominent bearer of the KLIMO surname was Mikuláš Klimo, a Slovak Catholic priest and writer who lived from 1652 to 1708. He was known for his religious works and his efforts in promoting the use of the Slovak language in literary and ecclesiastical contexts.
In the 19th century, the name gained wider recognition with the birth of Václav Kliment Klicpera (1792-1859), a Czech playwright, poet, and translator. His literary works, which often explored themes of Czech nationalism and cultural identity, solidified the KLIMO surname's place in the cultural heritage of the region.
The surname KLIMO can also be traced back to various place names and geographic locations within the Slavic regions. For instance, the village of Klímovice in the Czech Republic, or the town of Klimontów in Poland, may have contributed to the formation and dissemination of the surname over time.
As the centuries passed, the KLIMO surname spread across Central and Eastern Europe, carried by individuals who migrated and settled in different regions. Today, it continues to be a recognizable surname, particularly in countries like Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and beyond, reflecting its rich historical roots and cultural significance within the Slavic world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klimo
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Klimo 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 Klimo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 105
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klimo
Klimo 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,089 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+8 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,504 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 21,089 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.4%) | Up 6,504 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 Klimo 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 | #151,532 | #145,028 | 4.3% |
| Count | 108 | 116 | 7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klimo bearers went from 108 to 116 (+7.4% change). The surname moved up 6,504 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #145,028.
FAQ
Klimo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klimo?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Klimo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Klimo?
Klimo ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Klimo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Klimo.
Has Klimo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klimo went from 108 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 8 (+7.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Klimo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Klimo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klimo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Klimo (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 Klimo mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word klimax, meaning 'ladder' or 'staircase'. 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 Klimo (0.04 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 people share the surname Klimo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.