2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klinkenborg
A German occupational surname likely referring to someone who produced door knockers or other metal fittings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Klinkenborg. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klinkenborg 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Klinkenborg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkenborg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klinkenborg
The surname Klinkenborg is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Dutch words "klinken" meaning "to ring" and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location or area where the ringing of bells could be heard from a nearby hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Klinkenborg can be found in the Leiden Archives, a collection of historical records from the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. These archives date back to the 15th century and mention a Pieter Klinkenborg who lived in the city during that time.
In the 16th century, the Klinkenborg name appeared in the town of Delft, where a prominent family with that surname resided. The family was involved in the local textile trade, and their name can be found in various business records and municipal documents from that era.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named Jan Klinkenborg (1619-1688) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works are displayed in several museums across the Netherlands and are considered important examples of Dutch Baroque art.
Another individual of note was Aert Klinkenborg (1658-1727), a Dutch lawyer and politician who served as the Mayor of Rotterdam from 1711 to 1727. His tenure as mayor was marked by significant urban development and infrastructure projects within the city.
In the 18th century, a man named Gerrit Klinkenborg (1732-1801) was a renowned Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam, including the Koepelkerk (Dome Church) and the Walloon Church.
Moving into the 19th century, the Klinkenborg name appeared in various parts of the Netherlands, as well as in areas where Dutch settlers had established communities, such as South Africa and Indonesia (formerly the Dutch East Indies).
Throughout its history, the Klinkenborg surname has been associated with various professions, including artists, politicians, lawyers, architects, and tradespeople, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klinkenborg
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkenborg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Klinkenborg 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 Klinkenborg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klinkenborg
Klinkenborg 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+13 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,434 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-26 bearers (-19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,434 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-19.8%) | Down 23,164 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 Klinkenborg 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 | #129,825 | #152,989 | -17.8% |
| Count | 131 | 105 | -19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klinkenborg bearers went from 131 to 105 (-19.8% change). The surname moved down 23,164 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #152,989.
FAQ
Klinkenborg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klinkenborg?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Klinkenborg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Klinkenborg?
Klinkenborg ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Klinkenborg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Klinkenborg.
Has Klinkenborg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klinkenborg went from 131 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 26 (-19.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Klinkenborg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klinkenborg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Klinkenborg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klinkenborg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Klinkenborg (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 Klinkenborg mean?
A German occupational surname likely referring to someone who produced door knockers or other metal fittings. 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 Klinkenborg (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 have the surname Klinkenborg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.