Klien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Klien comes from the German province known as the Rhineland. In pre-medieval times, the German people used only one name, but as the population increased, hereditary surnames became necessary for people to maintain unique identities. Klien is a nickname surname, a style of name based on an eke-name, or added name, that described a characteristic of its original bearer. Klien is a name for a small or short person deriving its origin from the German word "klien," which means "small."

Early Origins of the Klien family

The surname Klien was first found in the Rhineland, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Klien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Klien research. Another 246 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1609, 1658, 1666, 1708, 1745, 1761, 1777, 1790, 1818, 1849 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Klien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Klien 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 Klien include Klein, Kleinn, Kleine, Kleinne, Kleyn, Kleynn, Kline, Clein, Clein, Cline, Kleiner, Klinertz and many more.

Early Notables of the Klien family

Notables with the name Klien during this period were Daniel Klein (1609-1666), Lutheran pastor and scholar from Tilsit, Duchy of Prussia; and Felix Klein (1849-1925), who was an important German mathematician, founder of the institute of mathematics in Goettingen, and very influential...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Klien Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Klien migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Klien, or one of its variants above:

Klien Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Hen rk Klien, aged 33, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 1
Philips Klien, aged 55, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 1
Henry Klien, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1761 1

Klien Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ignaz Klien, aged 32, who arrived in Missouri in 1842 1
Ambosius Klien, aged 26, who arrived in Missouri in 1842 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Klien (post 1700) +

Samuel Klien, American politician, Mayor of Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1953 2

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html