Klein Coat of Arms & Family Crest
Where the Klein name began, what it means, and where it was first recorded.
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Origin of the Klein name
Klein means "small" or "young" in German, a nickname for a person of slight stature or a younger son, from Middle High German klein. It is common throughout German-speaking Europe and also became a frequent Jewish surname in Central Europe. It is well established in the United States.
Klein: German, Dutch and Jewish roots
Klein is one word in several languages: German, Dutch, Afrikaans and Yiddish all use it for "small". As a surname it began as a nickname for a short person, or to tell a younger or smaller man from an older namesake. That is why Klein is found among Christian families in the Rhineland, Alsace and the Netherlands and, separately, among Ashkenazi Jewish families who took German-language surnames in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
The 2010 US Census counted 81,471 Kleins, rank 392nd, one of the larger German-origin names in America. Forebears estimates roughly 200,000 bearers in Germany. Psychoanalyst Melanie Klein and physicist Oskar Klein show how widely the name spread.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Klein name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Klein name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Austria and Switzerland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Klein pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Klein coat of arms for you.
Klein name FAQ
What does the Klein name mean?
Small or young. Common variants include Kleine, Cline, Kline.
Where does the Klein surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Klein coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Klein crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Klein coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Is Klein a Jewish last name?
It can be. Many Ashkenazi families adopted Klein, but it is equally a German and Dutch Christian surname, so the name alone does not tell you a family's background.
What are variants of Klein?
Cline and Kline are common American respellings; Kleine and Kleinman are related forms.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Klein (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.