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

Klunk, 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 Klunk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Klunk in America

Klunk is the 28065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Klunk surname appeared 853 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Klunk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Klunk 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 Klunk

The surname Klunk has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Old High German word "klunc," meaning "lump" or "clump." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a stocky or robust build.

One of the earliest known references to the Klunk surname can be found in the records of the town of Nürnberg, where a certain Hans Klunk is mentioned in a document dated 1387. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the Klunk name appeared in several historical records, including the Würzburg Codex, a collection of legal documents from the city of Würzburg. Here, a Johannes Klunk is listed as a landowner in the year 1542.

The Klunk surname can also be found in various place names, such as Klunkersdorf, a small village in Saxony that was first mentioned in records from the 13th century. This suggests that the name may have been associated with certain locations or communities.

One notable individual bearing the Klunk surname was Johann Klunk (1618-1691), a German philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Jena. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were influential during the 17th century.

Another figure of historical significance was Maria Klunk (1732-1807), a German nun and educator who founded several schools for girls in the region of Franconia. Her efforts in promoting education for women were groundbreaking for the time.

In the 19th century, a certain Friedrich Klunk (1801-1876) gained recognition as a prominent architect in the city of Leipzig. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).

The name Klunk can also be found in older records from other German-speaking regions, such as Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that it may have spread beyond its initial origins in Bavaria.

It is worth noting that the variations in spelling, such as Klunck, Klunke, and Klunker, were common in historical records due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Klunk

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!