Surname Kleine-Schulte - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Kleine-Schulte: What does the surname Kleine-Schulte mean?
The last name Kleine-Schulte is a German surname. In German, the words “Kleine” and “Schulte” both mean “small”, so the name Kleine-Schulte literally translates to “smaller”. The surname has its origin in the 17th century and was likely used as a nickname to distinguish between a “bigger” and a “smaller” generation of the family.
The name could also simply be a combination of two unrelated surnames. Some variant spellings of the name include Kleineschulte, Kleine-Scholte, and KleineSchulte. The name can also appear under other versions such as Kleinschulte, Kleinschulte-Lönneberg, and Kleine–Scholtz.
The surname Kleine-Schulte is not unique - it can be found throughout the German-speaking countries of Europe, as well as in other regions where German immigrants or their descendants have settled. The United States is also home to many people with this last name, with most of them being of German heritage.
History shows that the Kleine-Schulte surname has traveled along with the growth of German-speaking countries. For example, the Kleineschulte descendents of Bullay, Germany, are found in Prussia, the Netherlands, Pokoj, Wisconsin, and even Manley Harbor, Michigan.
In conclusion, the last name Kleine-Schulte is a German name that means “smaller”. It likely originated in the 17th century, and is now found in many countries with German immigrants and their descendents.
Order DNA origin analysisKleine-Schulte: Where does the name Kleine-Schulte come from?
The last name Kleine-Schulte is most commonly found in Germany today. In 2020, it was the 5,611th most popular surname in Germany and the 824th most common in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany's sixteen states.
The most likely origin of the surname is in the Dutch language, with 'Kleine' meaning 'small' and 'Schulte' meaning 'teacher'. It is possible that the surname originated as a nickname, given to a teacher who was smaller in stature than the others.
Census records show that the name was most common in several towns and villages, including Osnabrück, Rheine, Ladbergen, Minden, Detmold, Ibbenbüren and Borken in the north and north-western part of Germany. The surname is also common around Muenchen in the south-east of the country.
Through the years, descendants of the original family have spread throughout the country and across the world, and it can now be found on four of the world's continents, in countries as diverse as the United States, Belgium, Canada and Australia.
The last name Kleine-Schulte is still very much alive and remains popular in Germany today. It is a reminder of a teacher who, once upon a time, was smaller in stature than the others.
Variations of the surname Kleine-Schulte
The spelling variations of the surname Kleine-Schulte are Klineschulte, Klein-Schulte, Klein-Schulter, Klein-Schultz, Klein-Schulthe, Kleine-Schulte, Kleinschulte, Kleinschulter, Kleinschultz, Kleinschulthe, and Kleinshulte.
All of these spellings stem from a now rare form of German, but Middle High German, a root language of modern German. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages when its ancestor, Althochdeutsch, was the dominant language of Central and Western Europe.
Kleine-Schulte is a topographic surname, which was originally given to a person who was a dweller at, or an inhabitant of, 'Klein Schulthausen', a small hamlet in the western German region of Westfalen.
Kleine-Schulte can also be considered to be a patronymic, or name derived from an ancestor’s given name. In this case, the given name was Schulte, derived from the Middle High German word 'scultheid', meaning 'judgment'. This was the occupation of the early carrier of the Kleine-Schulte surname who could either be a judge, a lawyer, a government official, or a sergeant.
Kleine-Schulte is also related to the German words ‘schulter’ and ‘schultz’, which denote that the bearer of the name was an officer in the German army. In the 18th-19th centuries, the expansion of the German Empire meant that Kleine-Schulte-surnamed military officers were also stationed in Switzerland, France, and other parts of Europe.
Today, some of the closely associated variants of the Kleine-Schulte surname are Schulman, Schultz, Schultheis, Schulten, Schulte, Schulz, Schulter, Wilkeschultz, Klauss, Klauser, Klauke, Klawitter, Kleinschmidt, Kleinschneider, Kleinhans, and Kliewer.
Famous people with the name Kleine-Schulte
- Nora Kleine-Schulte: A German model, based in Berlin.
- Miriam Kleine-Schulte: A German based artist, who is most known for her paintings and sculptures.
- Hubert Kleine-Schulte: A former Mayor of Münster, Germany.
- Friedrike Kleine:Schulte: A German politician, who was a member of the Left Party.
- Cathlen Kleine-Schulte: A German psychotherapist.
- Johannes Kleine-Schulte: A German journalist, specializing in political and digital media analysis.
- Peter Kleine-Schulte: A former Senator of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
- Konstantin Kleine-Schulte: A German economist and banker.
- Uwe Kleine-Schulte: A former Senator of the German state of Lower Saxony.
- Oskar Kleine-Schulte: A German artist, who is most known for his ceramics.