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

Klinker, 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 Klinker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klinker in America

Klinker is the 26339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klinker surname appeared 927 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 Klinker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klinker 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 Klinker

The surname KLINKER has its origins in the Low German-speaking regions of northern Germany and the Netherlands. It likely emerged in the late medieval period, derived from the Low German word "klinker," which referred to a type of hard-baked brick or paving stone.

This surname was likely initially an occupational name, given to individuals involved in the production or laying of these bricks or pavers. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries in areas like East Frisia and the Duchy of Bremen.

One of the earliest known bearers of the KLINKER surname was Hans Klinker, a brickmaker from the town of Aurich in East Frisia, who is mentioned in a guild register from the year 1492. Another early reference is to a certain Gerd Klinker, a mason from the city of Bremen, recorded in a municipal document from 1538.

The name KLINKER also appears to have had ties to various place names in northern Germany and the Netherlands, such as the village of Klinkerberg in the Dutch province of Overijssel, and the town of Klinker in the German state of Lower Saxony. These place names likely derived their names from local brick or paving stone production.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, individuals bearing the KLINKER surname can be found in various historical records across northern Germany and the Netherlands. One notable example is Johann Klinker (1670-1724), a German jurist and author from the city of Lübeck.

As the surname spread beyond its original region, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Klinkert, Klinker, and Klinkert. In the 19th century, the KLINKER name can be found among emigrants from Germany and the Netherlands who settled in other parts of Europe and the Americas.

Some other notable bearers of the KLINKER surname throughout history include:

1. Dirk Klinker (1804-1871), a Dutch painter known for his landscape and marine works.
2. Friedrich Klinker (1846-1920), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
3. Heinrich Klinker (1892-1972), a German novelist and playwright active in the early 20th century.
4. Konrad Klinker (1925-2005), a German businessman and philanthropist who founded the Klinker Group, a successful construction company.
5. Aart Klinker (born 1959), a Dutch singer and musician known for his work in the Dutch schlager music genre.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klinker

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

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

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

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