Clauss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The roots of the Clauss family are found in the ancient German state of Bavaria. Clauss is one of the most common styles of German surname, that of patronymics and matronymics - names derived from the given names of the father or mother of their original bearers. Clauss is derived from the medieval given name Klaus, which is a shortened form of the personal name Niklaus or Nicholas. The given name Nicholas, which means people's victory, was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Clauss family

The surname Clauss was first found in Bavaria, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs.

Early History of the Clauss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clauss research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1656, 1679, 1681, 1691, 1713 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Clauss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clauss 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 Clauss include Klaus, Klauss, Claus, Clauss, Klauhs, Clauhs, Klausing (Westphalia), Klauser (Switzerland), Clausing, Clauser, Klausen, Klaussen, Clausen and many more.

Early Notables of the Clauss family

Prominent among members of the name Clauss in this period include John Closterman (1656-1713), portrait-painter, born at Osnaburg, Hanover, in 1656, the son of an artist, who taught him the rudiments of design. "In 1679 he went to...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clauss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clauss Ranking

In France, the name Clauss is the 3,580^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 1

Clauss migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clauss or a variant listed above:

Clauss Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Stephanus Clauss, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 2

Clauss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis Clauss, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1854 2
Michael Clauss, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1854 2
William Clauss, who landed in New York, NY in 1872 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Clauss (post 1700) +

Tilghman D. Clauss, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Lehighton, Pennsylvania, 1867-69 3
Oliver A. Clauss, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Lehighton, Pennsylvania, 1894-98 3
Henry Clauss, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Union County, 1896-97 3
Karl Clauss Dietel (1934-2022), German industrial designer

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html