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

Klopfenstein, 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 Klopfenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klopfenstein in America

Klopfenstein is the 17541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klopfenstein surname appeared 1,604 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Klopfenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klopfenstein 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 Klopfenstein

The surname Klopfenstein has its roots in Germany, specifically in the southern region of Baden-Württemberg. It is believed to have originated in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the German words "klopfen," meaning "to knock" or "to rap," and "stein," meaning "stone." This combination suggests a possible connection to an occupation involving stone-knocking or stone-cutting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Klopfenstein can be found in the archives of the town of Biberach an der Riss, dating back to the 16th century. The Klopfensteins were a respected family in the region, with some members holding positions of authority within the local community.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Klopfenstein name was Johann Klopfenstein (1625-1699), a Swiss theologian and author. He was born in Bern and is known for his work "De Incarnatione Christi," which explored the doctrine of the Incarnation.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Klopfenstein can be found in various historical records across Germany and Switzerland. One notable individual was Johann Klopfenstein (1742-1820), a Swiss jurist and politician who served as the mayor of Bern from 1793 to 1798.

During the 19th century, the Klopfenstein surname gained prominence in the United States as German and Swiss immigrants began settling in various parts of the country. One notable figure was Johann Friedrich Klopfenstein (1819-1896), a Swiss-American author and educator who published several books on German literature and language.

Another prominent individual with the Klopfenstein name was Carl Klopfenstein (1855-1930), a German-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Klopfenstein Shoe Company in Ohio and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational institutions.

As the Klopfenstein family dispersed across different regions, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Kloppenstein, Klopfenstine, and Klopfenstyn. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its German heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klopfenstein

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

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

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

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