The Klaus surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,328 people carried this name — #6,388 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 55,200 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (5,331).
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Klaus surname
Clipping of Nikolaus.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Klaus» (German), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
1,445 people named Klaus live in Switzerland.
They live in 23 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
776 people named Klaus have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 881 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Subcarpathian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 589 people named Klaus live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Entre Ríos.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 98 people named Klaus.
33 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 19 départements, most often Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
123 people named Klaus are counted in Finland and Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Klaus in American newspapers,
1907–1910.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 54,563 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Klaus,
with a public archive behind them.
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Anton Klaus 1829–1899 · politician -
Benedikt Klaus d. 1707 · artist
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Josef Klaus 1690–1754 · Catholic priest
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Matthias Klaus 1758–1833
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Jakob Klaus 1788– · writer
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Josef Klaus 1807–1877 · artist
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 8 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Klaus.
- Kittel 2,203 · U.S. census
- Kittler 365 · U.S. census
- Kitzinger 106 · U.S. census
- Klam 126 · U.S. census
- Klamm 677 · U.S. census
- Klatt 4,580 · U.S. census
- Klauss 345 · U.S. census
- Kleber 1,095 · U.S. census
- Kleck 289 · U.S. census
- Klee 2,440 · U.S. census
- Kleiber 1,146 · U.S. census
- Kleim 106 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Klaus is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.