Clas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Clas was first used by the people of the German province of Westphalia, which lay in the area between the Rhine and Wesser rivers. It is a patronymic name, derived from the given name of the father of the original bearer. Along with metronymic names, which come from the name of the mother of the bearer, patronymics were one of the most popular early German name types. Clas was derived from the baptismal name Clausen, which is a form of the name Nicholas. The given name Nicholas, which means people's victory, was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Clas family

The surname Clas was first found in Westphalia, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which shaped modern Europe. The family branched into several houses, all of which played important roles in the local political conflicts which forged the nation.

Early History of the Clas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clas research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1622, 1676, 1678, 1786 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Clas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clas Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Clas include Klassen, Klasse, Klass, Klasen, Klase, Klas, Classen, Classe, Class, Clasen, Clase, Clas, Klasing, Klaasen, Klaasen, Claasen, Klaase, Claase, Klaas and many more.

Early Notables of the Clas family

Notables of the period with the name Clas were

Daniel Clasen, in Latin Danielis Clasenius or Clasenus (1622-1678), a German political theorist, religious scholar, and classicist

Clas migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Clas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elisa Clas, who landed in Texas in 1840-1850 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)