Klaus
Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas.
Meaning & Origin of Klaus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Klaus
Klaus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1953, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 84 Klauss were born — ranking #1,872 that year. As of 2026, Klaus ranks #2,291 for baby boys with 63 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 2K Klauss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Klaus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Klaus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Clouse
- Clos
- Klaas
- Closs
- Kloss
- Clauss
- Klos
- Close
- Class
- Clas
- Clous
- Classe
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Klaus
What does the name Klaus mean?
How popular is Klaus in 2026?
When was Klaus most popular?
In which U.S. states is Klaus most popular?
Is Klaus a unisex name?
What names go well with Klaus?
About the name Klaus
Klaus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1953 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Klaus's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,339. Use the chart and map above to compare Klaus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.