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Klaus Family History

Klaus Surname Meaning

German and Dutch: from the personal name Klaus a shortened form of Nikolaus (see Nicholas). Compare Claus and Clouse. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine) Czechia, Poland, and Croatia.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): Germanized or dialect form of Yiddish kloyz ‘Jewish house of worship or study’ (compare German Klause ‘hermitage’).

Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Klavs, Klavž, or Klauž: from a Slovenized form of the German personal name Klaus (see 1 above) or from a short form of Miklavž, from Latin Nicolaus (see Nicholas).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Klaus family from?

You can see how Klaus families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Klaus family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Klaus families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 5 Klaus families living in London. This was about 71% of all the recorded Klaus's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Klaus families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Klaus surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Klaus ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Klaus. 18% of Klaus men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Klaus women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Klaus were Truck Driver and Maid.

View Census Data for Klaus | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    10%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Maid
    7%

What Klaus family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Klaus. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Klaus census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Klaus

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Klaus. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Klaus immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Klaus. For the veterans among your Klaus ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Klaus military records

You've only scratched the surface of Klaus family history

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What is the average Klaus lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Klaus life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Klaus in 1943 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Klaus

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Klaus ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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