2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kloor
An altered English spelling of the German Klor surname, derived from the Latin clarus meaning "bright" or "illustrious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kloor. 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 Kloor 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 Kloor 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 Kloor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kloor
The surname KLOOR originated in the Netherlands, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "kloor," which means "bright" or "shining," potentially referring to an ancestor's fair complexion or hair color. The name was initially concentrated in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, where Dutch dialects were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KLOOR surname can be found in the municipal records of Leeuwarden, the capital city of Friesland, from the year 1587. These records document a merchant named Pieter KLOOR, who was involved in the local textile trade. Another early reference comes from the church records of Groningen, where a baptismal entry from 1612 lists a child named Jan KLOOR.
During the 17th century, the KLOOR name began to appear in various parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the coastal regions. In 1637, a ship's log from the Dutch East India Company mentioned a sailor named Gerrit KLOOR, who was part of a voyage to the East Indies. This suggests that some KLOOR families may have been involved in maritime activities during this period.
One notable figure bearing the KLOOR surname was Hendrick KLOOR (1654-1721), a renowned painter from Amsterdam. He was known for his landscape paintings and was a member of the prestigious Guild of St. Luke, an association of artists in the Netherlands. Some of Hendrick KLOOR's works can still be found in museums and private collections throughout Europe.
Another prominent individual with the KLOOR name was Johanna KLOOR (1789-1867), a Dutch author and women's rights advocate. She wrote several novels and poems that addressed social issues and called for greater equality for women. Johanna KLOOR was also involved in various charitable organizations and is considered a pioneer of the feminist movement in the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, the KLOOR surname began to spread beyond the Netherlands as some families migrated to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. For instance, records show that a family named KLOOR settled in the German city of Hamburg around 1840, where they established a successful trading business.
Throughout its history, the KLOOR surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, sailors, artists, and writers. While the name may have originated from a descriptive term related to physical appearance, it has evolved to represent a diverse range of individuals and their contributions to various aspects of Dutch culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kloor
Among Census respondents with the surname Kloor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kloor 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 Kloor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kloor
Kloor 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,524 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 13,524 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 5,443 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 Kloor 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 | #158,432 | #152,989 | 3.4% |
| Count | 102 | 105 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kloor bearers went from 102 to 105 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 5,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kloor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kloor?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kloor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kloor?
Kloor 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 Kloor. 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 Kloor.
Has Kloor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kloor went from 102 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kloor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kloor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Kloor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kloor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Kloor (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 Kloor mean?
An altered English spelling of the German Klor surname, derived from the Latin clarus meaning "bright" or "illustrious." 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 Kloor (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 are called Kloor?
See how many Americans have the surname Kloor on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.