Surname Kleilein - Meaning and Origin

Kleilein: What does the surname Kleilein mean?

The German surname Kleilein translates to "little one". Traditionally, this surname was used to distinguish between younger and older siblings in a family. It is thought to have derived from the Middle High German word "Kleilin", which had the same meaning.

In the 1500s, the Kleileins (also spelled Kleilein, Clialen, Kiley, and Kolly) resided in the city of Bamberg in the German state of Bayern. During this time, the name was often used to differentiate a younger family member, such as a son, nephew, or cousin, from an older kinsman.

The Kleilein surname is still present in Germany today. In some families, the name has been passed down from generation to generation, while in other cases, it has been adopted as a surname when families immigrated from Germany.

Beyond Germany, the name has spread into other countries, most notably the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These emigrants from 19th century Germany brought with them the family name, and now their descendants can be found in all parts of the world.

The Kleilein family name is now a symbol of a global connection. Its meaning goes beyond a single individual or family, as it now stands for the heritage, culture, and traditions of the German people, a heritage that has been shared and passed down from generation to generation.

Kleilein: Where does the name Kleilein come from?

The last name Kleilein is quite a rare name today. However, it still exists in some parts of the world.

In Germany, people from some small villages still have the last name Kleilein, and some of them can even trace their roots all the way back to the 16th century. These people may be related by marriage or blood since the name has been passed down in a relatively small geographical area.

In the United States, this last name is particularly common in the Washington D.C. area, where some German and Swiss immigrants had settled. It's also found in small numbers in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Arkansas. Kleilein can also be found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Kleilein is even found in a few countries in Europe like Poland and Czechoslovakia, thanks to some of the emigrants who left Germany around the 1800s.

Overall, the Kleilein name is quite a rare one nowadays, but it still exists in a few places in the world.

Variations of the surname Kleilein

The surname Kleilein is of German origin and can be spelt in multiple ways, including Kleylein, Kleylien, Kleylein, Kleyline, Kleyling, Kleelien, and Kleinlein.

Variants of this surname include Klehlein, Kleahlein, Kleimeier, Klemeier, Kleim, Klemm, Kleemann, Kleemeyer, and Kleemann.

The spelling of the surname also alters depending on certain geographic locations, such as Kleeyline which actively occurs in Scandinavian regions.

Klein, Kleingard, Kleingardt, Kleingart, Cleingard, Kleine, Kleingeld, Kleingold, Kleinge, Kleingarder, Clein, Kleinsky, Kleinche, and Kleinjan are some of the surnames derived from Kleilein.

The surnames Kleinschmidt, Kleinecker, Kleiners, Kleinschuh, Kleindel, Kleiner, Kleinhauer, Kleinheider, Kleinsasser, Kleinemeier, Kleinegrab, Kleintopf, Kleinebrecht, Kleinefelt, Kleinehagen, Kleinert, Kleinsinger, Kleinvogel, Kleinsorge, Kleinstueber, and Kleinknecht are among the many other spellings and variants of the surname.

Kleilein is also an anglicized name from Dutch, German, Irish, and Ukrainian origins. Variants include Kleylein, Kleylien, Kleelien, Kleyline, Kleyling, and Kleinlein. In Dutch and German, the root of the name is Klein which means “small” or “little”.

Famous people with the name Kleilein

• John Kleilein: an American figure skater known for winning a replica of the 1879 St. Louis World’s Fair championship trophy top prize for the International Skating Union (ISU).
• Pete Kleilein: an American basketball coach and former assistant men's coach at Southern Illinois University (SIU).
• Hal Kleilein: an American painter best known for his watercolor paintings of rural landscapes and barns.
• Konrad Kleilein: a German author and illustrator best known for his retelling of stories for adults as well as children.
• Robert Kleilein: an American novelist and biographer. He wrote The Great Gatsby, a novel about the Jazz Age in the United States.
• Harold Kleilein: a German-born American voice actor best known for his work in multiple English-dubbed Disney cartoons.
• Richard Kleilein: an American composer who wrote over five hundred works for film, television and commercials, including for Disney and Dreamworks.
• Peter Kleilein: an American recording engineer and audio producer who has worked with John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and others.
• Jens Kleilein: a German composer and arranger of jazz and classical music, and the leader of the Potsdam Jazz and Rock Orchestra.
• Julius Kleilein: a German architect best known for designing the cities of Bonn, Sankt Augustin and Münster.

Other surnames

Kleile