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Klaus History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Klaus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The roots of the Klaus family are found in the ancient German state of Bavaria. Klaus 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. Klaus 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 Klaus family

The surname Klaus 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 Klaus family

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

Klaus Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Klaus include Klaus, Klauss, Claus, Clauss, Klauhs, Clauhs, Klausing (Westphalia), Klauser (Switzerland), Clausing, Clauser, Klausen, Klaussen, Clausen and many more.

Early Notables of the Klaus family

Prominent among members of the name Klaus 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 Klaus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Klaus Ranking

In the United States, the name Klaus is the 6,911^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Klaus migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Klaus surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Klaus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bernhart Klaus, who settled in New York City in 1709 with his wife and four children
Henrich Klaus left the Palatinate for England with his wife and two daughters in 1709
Bernhart Klaus, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Michael Klaus, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1746 2

Klaus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Valentin Klaus, who arrived in America in 1844 2
Joseph Klaus, who landed in America in 1845 2
Konrad Klaus, who landed in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Harriet" 2
Sophie Klaus, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1845 2
Johann Klaus, who settled in Texas in 1846 with his wife Maria Hinz and three children
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Klaus migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Klaus Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Klaus, (b. 1816), aged 43, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Regina" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1859 3
Miss Bertha Klaus, (b. 1864), aged 20, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Aorangi" arriving in Invercargill, New Zealand on 11th May 1884 4
Miss Amelia Klaus, (b. 1865), aged 19, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Aorangi" arriving in Invercargill, New Zealand on 11th May 1884 4
Mr. S. Klaus, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Tongariro" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand in 1887 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Klaus (post 1700) +

Kenneth Richard Klaus, successful American musician and composer in Baton Rouge, and was State President of the String Teacher's Association
Frank Klaus (1887-1948), German-American boxer and 1913 Middleweight Champion
Billy Klaus, American baseball player
Elmer Erwin Klaus (b. 1921), distinguished American scientist and educator
William Joseph "Billy" Klaus (1928-2006), American Major League Baseball player
S. W. Klaus, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1912 5
Arthur C. Klaus, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1964 5
Václav Klaus (b. 1941), President of the Czech Republic
Josef Klaus (b. 1910), Chancellor of Austria from 1966 to 1970
Günther Klaus Fielmann (1939-2024), German billionaire businessman, the founder, majority owner and the chief executive officer of Fielmann, a German optics company

Historic Events for the Klaus family +

Bismarck

Josef Klaus (1919-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 6

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details