2000
#44,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 458
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Klugman
An Americanized spelling of the German surname meaning "clever" or "wise."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 626 Americans carry the last name Klugman. That puts it at #42,735 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 547,531 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klugman 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
626
1 in 547,531
Census rank
#42,735
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
546
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 546 bearers of the surname Klugman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42735th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klugman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klugman
The surname Klugman is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "kluge," meaning "wise" or "clever." It was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered intelligent or knowledgeable.
The earliest known records of the name Klugman can be found in various German town and village registers from the late 1300s and early 1400s. These include entries in the records of Nuremberg, Augsburg, and other cities in southern Germany. The name was also present in medieval manuscripts and legal documents, though specific references are scarce.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Klugman was Hans Klugman, a merchant and tradesman who lived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in the late 15th century. Another early bearer of the name was Johann Klugman, a scholar and theologian born in Erfurt, Germany, in 1520.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Klugmann, Klugmen, and Klugmenn. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciation differences.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Klugman. These include:
1. Friedrich Klugman (1812-1884), a German philologist and classical scholar known for his work on ancient Greek and Roman literature.
2. Adolph Klugman (1825-1876), a German-American journalist and newspaper editor who co-founded the San Francisco Chronicle.
3. Jakob Klugman (1863-1949), a German-born American rabbi and author who served as the president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
4. Harvey Klugman (1905-1984), an American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.
5. Jack Klugman (1922-2012), an American actor best known for his roles in the television series "The Odd Couple" and "Quincy, M.E."
While the surname Klugman has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was likely first adopted as a descriptive nickname for an intelligent or wise individual.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klugman
Among Census respondents with the surname Klugman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Klugman 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 Klugman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 510
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 13
- Two or more races2.4% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- Black or African American0.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klugman
Klugman 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
#42,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 512
+54 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 1,895 places
2020
#42,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 546
+34 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 357 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,273 | 458 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,378 | 512 | 0.17 | +54 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 1,895 places |
| 2020 | #42,735 | 546 | 0.18 | +34 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 357 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 Klugman 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 | #42,378 | #42,735 | -0.8% |
| Count | 512 | 546 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.18 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klugman bearers went from 512 to 546 (+6.6% change). The surname moved down 357 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,378 to #42,735.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Klugman
FAQ
Klugman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klugman?
Name Census estimates that about 626 living Americans carry the surname Klugman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 547,531 residents.
How common is Klugman?
Klugman ranks #42,735 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 546 people with the surname Klugman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (626), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Klugman.
Has Klugman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klugman went from 512 recorded bearers to 546. That is an increase of 34 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #42,378 to #42,735.
What does the Census say about the background of Klugman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klugman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Klugman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (510 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klugman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Klugman (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 Klugman mean?
An Americanized spelling of the German surname meaning "clever" or "wise." 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 Klugman (0.18 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 common is the surname Klugman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Klugman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.