2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Klinkel
A surname derived from a German word meaning "little bell" or "small bell".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Klinkel. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klinkel 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Klinkel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klinkel
The surname Klinkel is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly during the medieval period or earlier. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "klink," which referred to a metallic clang or the ringing sound of a bell. This suggests that the name may have been associated with bell-making or related metalworking professions in its early origins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Klinkel can be found in the Bavarian town of Regensburg, where a Johannes Klinkel was mentioned in a document dating back to the 14th century. This region, along with other areas of southern Germany and parts of Austria, seems to have been a stronghold for the name in its early history.
The name Klinkel has undergone various spelling variations over time, including Klinkel, Klinckel, and Klinkele. These variations may have arisen due to regional dialects or the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name in historical documents.
Notable individuals with the surname Klinkel throughout history include:
1. Hermann Klinkel (1590-1651), a German painter and engraver who was active in the early 17th century.
2. Johann Klinkel (1732-1809), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Halle.
3. Friedrich Klinkel (1803-1868), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
4. Maximilian Klinkel (1856-1932), an Austrian sculptor who created numerous public monuments and memorials.
5. Otto Klinkel (1888-1964), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic.
While the name Klinkel has its roots in Germany and the surrounding regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its earliest and most significant historical associations remain tied to its Central European origins and the various craftsmen, artists, and scholars who bore this surname in centuries past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klinkel
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Klinkel 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 Klinkel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 97
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klinkel
Klinkel 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-19 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,096 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 28,096 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 225 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 Klinkel 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 | #156,044 | #156,269 | -0.1% |
| Count | 104 | 98 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klinkel bearers went from 104 to 98 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,269.
FAQ
Klinkel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klinkel?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Klinkel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Klinkel?
Klinkel ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Klinkel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Klinkel.
Has Klinkel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klinkel went from 104 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Klinkel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Klinkel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klinkel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Klinkel (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 Klinkel mean?
A surname derived from a German word meaning "little bell" or "small bell". 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 Klinkel (0.03 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 Klinkel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.