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

Kloss, 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 Kloss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kloss in America

Kloss is the 10815th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kloss surname appeared 2,945 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 Kloss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kloss 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 Kloss

The surname Kloss originates from Germany and dates back to the late Middle Ages, around the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "klos," which referred to a lump or ball, possibly indicating a physical attribute or occupation of the earliest bearers.

Initially, the name was concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it appeared in various forms such as Klos, Closs, and Klosse. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Augsburg Cathedral records of 1498, which mention a certain Hanns Kloss. Additionally, the Kloss family is mentioned in the tax records of the town of Schmalkalden in 1550.

The name Kloss has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. Johann Friedrich Kloss (1758-1823) was a German writer and journalist who played a significant role in the early German romantic movement. Erasmus Kloss (1826-1908) was a German-American educator and pioneer in the field of physical education.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Erich Kloss (1888-1944), a German Communist politician and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime. Tragically, he was executed in the Plötzensee Prison in Berlin for his involvement in the anti-fascist resistance.

In the arts, Vinzenz Kloss (1629-1688) was a renowned German painter and engraver from Augsburg, known for his religious works and architectural paintings. More recently, Karlie Kloss (born 1992) is an American model and entrepreneur who has gained international recognition in the fashion industry.

It is worth noting that while the name Kloss is primarily associated with Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kloss

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

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

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

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