Surname Kleh - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Kleh: What does the surname Kleh mean?
The last name Kleh is of Jewish origin and is derived from the Hebrew word "klei," meaning a utensil, vessel, or instrument. It is a toponymic surname, with most of its bearers believed to be descendants of families from Kleh, a town which is now located in the modern country of Lithuania.
The name Kleh has a long and rich history, with many notable people associated with it. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, several famous Jewish rabbis were associated with the Kleh name, including Rabbi Isaac Hurwitz, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan, and Rabbi Benjamin Wolf Hager. During these same centuries, there were also several prominent Jewish businessmen in Germany who were connected to the Kleh family as well.
Today, Kleh is still common in Lithuania and other parts of Eastern Europe. It is a widely dispersed name, and those with the name may also have a family crest associated with it. The Kleh crest consists of a burning flame surrounded by two crossed swords, and the words "Ansa nafshi" (which translates to “My soul”).
Overall, the Kleh surname carries with it a long legacy of tradition, respect, and strength. It is a name of both honor and distinction, and the people who bear it can take great pride in their heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisKleh: Where does the name Kleh come from?
The last name Kleh is most commonly found in areas with large populations of Jewish people. This is partially because Kleh is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname.
Kleh is most concentrated in eastern and northern Europe. In Russia, it is found in Moscow and the Khabarovsk region, in Belarus it is particularly common in Minsk and Vitebsk, and it is most common in Ukraine in the Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
In the United States, Kleh is mainly found in states with large Jewish populations, such as New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois. Its prevalence is especially high in states such as Florida and Ohio, where it is among the top 1,000 most common surnames.
Kleh is also fairly common in the United Kingdom, especially in London and other parts of southern England. Furthermore, it is popular in Canada, mostly in Toronto and Montreal, where it is among the top 5,000 most common surnames.
Overall, the prevalence of the surname Kleh is likely to continue to grow in the future, as more Jewish families around the world enter marriages and relationships that lead to the passing on of this surname to their children.
Variations of the surname Kleh
Kleh is a surname of German, Slavic, and Jewish origin. It most likely originates from the Latin word "clavus" which means "nail". Variants and alternate spellings of the surname include Klah and Kleha, while surnames of similar origin include Klae, Klay, Clae, and Clah.
In Germany, Kleh could also originate from the personal name Klöser, which comes from an archaic form of Hlovsek, an old Slavic word of uncertain origin.
The name is particularly common among Jewish families in Central and Eastern parts of Europe. In Jewish genealogical records, the surname Kleh may appear under various regional names, such as Klah and Kloah. In the Yiddish language, Kloah was the word used to describe a nail or a sharp object such as a thorn or an awl.
In the Polish language, Klata, Kleh and Klah can all originate from the personal name Klata, which was originally derived from the Polish word for a stork. In the Czech language, the same surname can appear under the variant Kleha, which has a slightly different spelling from the other versions.
In the United States and the United Kingdom, the surname Kleh is often used to describe families of German, Ukrainian, and Eastern European origin. Also, the Kleh surname is often associated with Jewish, or possibly Baltic, gainsayers.
No matter the origin or spelling, the Kleh surname is relatively uncommon, though it can be found in many countries around the world.
Famous people with the name Kleh
- Kamal Kaleh: Iranian television actor.
- Robert Kaleh: American fashion photographer.
- Agim Kaleh: Albanian lawyer and professor of international law.
- Zaid Kaleh: Emirati lawyer and human rights activist.
- Ghassan Kaleh: Syrian musician and composer.
- Osman Kaleh: former Prime Minister of Albania.
- Rakan Kaleh: Jordanian goalkeeper.
- Lea Kaleh: Lebanese actress, writer, director and producer.
- Maahi Kaleh: Indian singer and songwriter.
- Kader Kaleh– Turkish actress and recorder.