Klaas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Klaas 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. Klaas 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 Klaas family

The surname Klaas 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 Klaas family

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

Klaas 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 Klaas 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 Klaas family

Notables of the period with the name Klaas were Daniel Clasen, in Latin Danielis Clasenius or Clasenus (1622-1678), a German political theorist, religious scholar, and classicist; and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Klaas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Klaas Ranking

In South Africa, the name Klaas is the 331^st most popular surname with an estimated 20,272 people with that name. 1

Klaas migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Klaas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Klaas, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Peter Klaas, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
John Ties Klaas, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Klaas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Peter Klaas, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Gerhard Hermann"
Berendina Klaas, aged 45, who arrived in New York, NY in 1846 2
Joh Albert Klaas, who landed in Cincinnati, Oh in 1847 2
Mr. Joh. Klaas, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Louise Friedke."
Miss Louise Klaas, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Louise Friedke."
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Klaas (post 1700) +

Klaas Tuinstra (1945-2022), Dutch politician, member of the Anti-Revolutionary Party and later the Christian Democratic Appeal, he served in the House of Representatives from 1986 to 1994
Klaas Bakker (1926-2016), Dutch footballer

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
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)