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

Klinefelter, 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 Klinefelter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klinefelter in America

Klinefelter is the 20758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klinefelter surname appeared 1,273 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 Klinefelter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klinefelter 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 Klinefelter

The surname Klinefelter originated in Germany and is believed to have been derived from the German words "klein" meaning small and "feld" meaning field, referring to someone who lived near a small field or farm. The earliest known records of the name date back to the 16th century, with the first recorded spelling appearing as "Kleinefelter" in the parish records of the town of Aachen in 1524.

In the late 16th century, the name began to appear in various other German regions, with variations in spelling such as "Kleinfeldter" and "Kleinfelder". One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Hans Klinefelter, a farmer from the village of Bremervörde, who was born in 1587.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name spread throughout central and northern Europe, with some records indicating that individuals with this surname had migrated to neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Johann Klinefelter, a renowned woodcarver from the town of Nuremberg, who lived from 1632 to 1701.

As the Klinefelter family continued to grow and disperse, some members eventually made their way to the United States and other parts of the world. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Peter Klinefelter, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.

Throughout the 19th century, the name became more widespread in the United States, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was John Klinefelter, a Union soldier who fought in the American Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Another was William Klinefelter, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Ohio, who lived from 1835 to 1912.

In the 20th century, the name gained recognition in the medical field due to the discovery of Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic condition named after the American physician Harry Klinefelter, who first described the disorder in 1942. Harry Klinefelter was born in 1912 and passed away in 1990.

Other notable individuals with the surname Klinefelter include the American author and poet Anne Klinefelter (1919-2010), and the German-born artist Hans Klinefelter (1901-1985), who was known for his abstract expressionist paintings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klinefelter

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

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

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

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