2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Klopstein
A German surname derived from the words "klopfen" meaning "to knock" and "stein" meaning "stone."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Klopstein. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klopstein 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Klopstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klopstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klopstein
The surname Klopstein has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "klopfen," meaning "to knock," and "stein," meaning "stone." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who worked as a stonemason or lived near a rocky area where stones were frequently knocked together.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Klopstein can be found in a German church record from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1572, which mentions a Hans Klopstein. Another early reference is from the city of Nuremberg in 1598, where a Johann Klopstein is listed as a resident.
The name Klopstein has also been linked to various place names in Germany, particularly those containing the word "stein," such as Steinbach, Steinberg, or Steinfeld. It is possible that the name originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived in or near these stone-related locations.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Klopstein. One such person was Friedrich Klopstein (1722-1789), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Another was Johann Klopstein (1805-1871), a German-born American physician who practiced medicine in Pennsylvania and served as a surgeon during the American Civil War.
Other notable Klopsteins include Karl Klopstein (1865-1944), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, and Emil Klopstein (1884-1967), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various educational and cultural institutions.
In the 19th century, the name Klopstein also appeared in the records of various European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, indicating that the name had spread beyond its German origins. One example is the Swiss-born artist Hans Klopstein (1878-1945), who was known for his landscape paintings and worked in both Switzerland and Germany.
While the name Klopstein is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from scholars and professionals to artists and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klopstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Klopstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Klopstein 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 Klopstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 110
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klopstein
Klopstein 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+19 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,019 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-32 bearers (-21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 6,019 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-21.9%) | Down 27,642 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 Klopstein 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 | #118,853 | #146,495 | -23.3% |
| Count | 146 | 114 | -21.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klopstein bearers went from 146 to 114 (-21.9% change). The surname moved down 27,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #146,495.
FAQ
Klopstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klopstein?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Klopstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Klopstein?
Klopstein ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Klopstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Klopstein.
Has Klopstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klopstein went from 146 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 32 (-21.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Klopstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klopstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Klopstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klopstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Klopstein (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 Klopstein mean?
A German surname derived from the words "klopfen" meaning "to knock" and "stein" meaning "stone." 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 Klopstein (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 Klopstein?
You can see how many people have the surname Klopstein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.