Klein
Klein is a surname. It is the German, Dutch, Afrikaans, and Yiddish word for 'small', which came to be used as a surname, and thence passed into the names of places, concepts and discoveries associated with bearers of this surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Meaning & Origin of Klein
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Klein is a surname. It is the German, Dutch, Afrikaans, and Yiddish word for 'small', which came to be used as a surname, and thence passed into the names of places, concepts and discoveries associated with bearers of this surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Klein
The earliest SSA record of Klein as a baby boy name dates back to 1984, when 6 babies received it. 2013 was its biggest year on record, with 25 newborns named Klein — #3,963 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Klein on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Klein ranks #5,725 for baby boys with 16 births, holding steady (+1%). All told, over 385 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Klein
Phonetically similar names — useful when Klein is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Klein
What does the name Klein mean?
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In which U.S. states is Klein most popular?
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About the name Klein
Klein is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 385 births in the dataset. Klein's peak popularity came in 2013 when it ranked #3,963. Use the chart and map above to compare Klein's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2013 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.