2000
#694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.64
Uncommon Last name
Kline
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a fine or delicate person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 49,516 Americans carry the last name Kline. That puts it at #778 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,922 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kline 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kline with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
50K
1 in 6,922
Census rank
#778
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
43K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 43,180 bearers of the surname Kline in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 778th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kline, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kline
The surname Kline originated in Germany and is a variation of the German word "klein," which means "small." This surname was likely first used to refer to a person of small stature or someone who was considered small or insignificant in their community.
The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in German parish records and historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. Variations of the spelling, such as Klyne and Clyne, were also common during this time period.
In the 16th century, the name Kline began to appear in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. During this time, the name was often associated with specific professions, such as tailors or cobblers, who were known for their attention to detail and precision in their work.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Kline was Johann Kline, a German merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was a prominent figure in the local community and owned several properties in the city.
Another notable figure with the Kline surname was Philipp Kline, a German Lutheran theologian and educator who lived in the 17th century. He was a professor at the University of Heidelberg and published several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the name Kline began to spread beyond Germany as families with this surname immigrated to other parts of Europe and even to the American colonies. One notable individual from this period was Johann Adam Kline, a German-born farmer who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s and established a successful agricultural operation.
In the 19th century, the Kline surname continued to gain prominence, particularly in the United States. One notable figure was John Kline, an American minister and abolitionist who was born in 1797 in Virginia. He was a vocal opponent of slavery and played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, helping to guide escaped slaves to freedom.
Another notable individual with the Kline surname was Harriet Kline, an American suffragist and women's rights activist who was born in 1846 in New York. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement and worked tirelessly to secure the right to vote for women in the United States.
Over the centuries, the Kline surname has been associated with various occupations, from merchants and farmers to theologians and activists. While its origins can be traced back to Germany and the Middle Ages, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse histories and experiences of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kline
Among Census respondents with the surname Kline, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kline 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 Kline surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 39,381
- Two or more races3.1% · 1,345
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 1,220
- Black or African American1.8% · 761
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 327
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 146
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kline
Kline 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
#761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,390
+490 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 15.39
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,180
-2,210 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 14.45
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #694 | 44,900 | 16.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #761 | 45,390 | 15.39 | +490 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #778 | 43,180 | 14.45 | -2,210 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 17 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 Kline 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 | #761 | #778 | -2.2% |
| Count | 45,390 | 43,180 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 15.39 | 14.45 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kline bearers went from 45,390 to 43,180 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #761 to #778.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kline
FAQ
Kline surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kline?
Name Census estimates that about 49,516 living Americans carry the surname Kline. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,922 residents.
How common is Kline?
Kline ranks #778 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 43,180 people with the surname Kline. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (49,516), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Kline.
Has Kline become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kline went from 45,390 recorded bearers to 43,180. That is a decrease of 2,210 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #761 to #778.
What does the Census say about the background of Kline?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kline, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kline in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (39,381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kline appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kline (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 Kline mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a fine or delicate person. 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 Kline (14.45 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 common is the surname Kline?
See how many Americans have the surname Kline on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.