2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klous
An Americanized form of the German surname Klos or Klaus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Klous. 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 Klous 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 Klous 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 Klous, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klous
The surname Klous has its origins in Germany, first appearing in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "klous", which referred to a small hut or dwelling. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived in a modest home or cabin.
The earliest known records of the Klous name can be found in the Saxony region of Germany. In the town of Plauen, a document from 1587 mentions a "Hans Klous", who was likely one of the first individuals to bear this surname. Another early reference comes from the city of Leipzig, where a "Jörg Klous" is listed in a registry from 1603.
As the name spread across Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including "Klauß", "Claus", and "Clouse". These different spellings were often used interchangeably, reflecting the regional dialects and preferences of the time.
One of the earliest prominent individuals with the Klous surname was Johann Klous (1592-1658), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Leipzig. He authored several influential works on theology and was highly respected in academic circles.
In the 18th century, a notable Klous family lived in the town of Zittau, Saxony. Johann Gottfried Klous (1723-1789) was a successful merchant and landowner, while his son, Christian Friedrich Klous (1758-1824), became a respected jurist and held various legal positions in the region.
Another significant figure was Carl Klous (1803-1873), a German composer and music teacher from Stettin, Pomerania (now Szczecin, Poland). He composed several operas and orchestral works, contributing to the cultural landscape of his time.
In the 19th century, the Klous name made its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable individual was August Klous (1825-1892), a German-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Davenport, Iowa, from 1872 to 1873.
While the Klous surname is not as common as some other German names, it has persisted throughout history, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klous
Among Census respondents with the surname Klous, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Klous 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 Klous surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 100
- Two or more races7.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klous
Klous 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 14,480 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 Klous 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 | #160,975 | #146,495 | 9.0% |
| Count | 100 | 114 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klous bearers went from 100 to 114 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 14,480 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #146,495.
FAQ
Klous surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klous?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Klous. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Klous?
Klous 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 Klous. 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 Klous.
Has Klous become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klous went from 100 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 14 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Klous?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klous, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Klous in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klous appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (7.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Klous (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 Klous mean?
An Americanized form of the German surname Klos or Klaus. 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 Klous (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 Americans have the surname Klous?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.