Kleiner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

The name Kleiner 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. Kleiner is a nickname surname, a style of name based on an eke-name, or added name, that described a characteristic of its original bearer. Kleiner is a name for a small or short person deriving its origin from the German word "klien," which means "small."

Early Origins of the Kleiner family

The surname Kleiner 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 Kleiner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kleiner 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 Kleiner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

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

Early Notables of the Kleiner family

Notables with the name Kleiner 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 Kleiner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kleiner Ranking

In the United States, the name Kleiner is the 15,456^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Kleiner 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 Kleiner, or one of its variants above:

Kleiner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rudolf Kleiner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 2
Rupert Kleiner, who landed in America in 1783 2

Kleiner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilhelm Kleiner, aged 1, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
Elizabeth Kleiner, aged 23, who arrived in New York, N Y in 1850 2
J Kleiner, aged 29, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
Paul Kleiner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 2
Louis Kleiner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1855 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kleiner (post 1700) +

Morris M. Kleiner (b. 1948), American professor of public affairs
John J. Kleiner (1845-1911), American politician, US Representative from Indiana
Israel Simon Kleiner (1885-1966), American biochemist
Eugene Kleiner (1923-2003), American venture capitalist, co-founder of what would become Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Richard Arthur "Dick" Kleiner (1921-2002), Hollywood columnist, best remembered for his column "Ask Dick Kleiner"
Krista Arrieta Kleiner, Filipino-American TV actress/singer and host
Bruce Kleiner Ph.D., American mathematician
Laura L. Kleiner, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Virginia State House of Delegates 20th District, 2011 3
John Jay Kleiner (1845-1911), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Evansville, Indiana, 1874-80; U.S. Representative from Indiana 1st District, 1883-87 3
Anne May Kleiner, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1961 3
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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