Surname Kleußer - Meaning and Origin
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Kleußer: What does the surname Kleußer mean?
Kleußer is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word “kleuz,” or “klaüz,” meaning “bridge” or “causeway.” The name therefore likely denoted someone who lived in or near a bridge, or whose job involved bridge repair and building. It is most commonly found in the parts of Germany that were once part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Some sources suggest that the name could also have been derived from the word “Kleuße,” which was an old term for a small vase or ewer, and could therefore refer to a maker of pottery or dishes.
In politics, there have been several notable persons with the last name Kleußer. For example, Paul Kleußer (1897-1980) was a highly decorated German officer in World War I and later a prominent member of the Nazi party. Jakob Kleußer (1777-1844), a historian and politician from Frankfurt, is credited with the first published collection of short stories.
More recently, several athletes have taken the name Kleußer. Felix Kleußer competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the men’s shot put. Josef Kleußer was a German cyclist who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
All told, Kleußer is a distinct and unique family name that has connected many generations of Germans, and created a legacy that spans centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisKleußer: Where does the name Kleußer come from?
The last name Kleußer is of Germanic origin, likely derived from the word “Kleveser,” which was used as a noun to refer to someone living in or near the town of Kleve in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. As such, it is most commonly found in Germany and its surrounding regions today. The name is quite common in Germany— according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office, there were 19,217 individuals in Germany with this surname as of 2019.
Kleußer is also found in other parts of Europe, as well as North America and Australia. In the United States, the name is found in numerous states, particularly in the Midwest region, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 data. Similarly, in Canada, the name is prominent in areas including Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta.
In Australia, surnames of German origin, including the name Kleußer, are found in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Lastly, the name is also present in other countries, such as the Netherlands, where thousands of German immigrants relocated during World War Two.
Beyond its presence in German-speaking regions, the name Kleußer has been adopted by communities and families in other parts of the world, often retaining the original spelling. Thus, it is possible to find the name in many different countries around the world today.
Variations of the surname Kleußer
The surname Kleußer is derived from the German language and is encountered in Southern Europe. It is a patronymic surname, meaning that it is derived from the given name of the father of the initial bearer. The variants of Kleußer are primarily seen in the German-speaking countries, although they might be encountered in other European countries.
The most common spelling of the surname Kleußer is Kloesser. Alternative spellings of the surname include Clueser, Kleser, Klesse, Klueser, Kloos, Kleuß, Kloß, Klößer, and Kloesser.
Other variations of the name can be found in the form of surname prefixes, such as van Kleußer, van Kleuß, von Kloess, or von Klößer. Surnames suffixes can also be used, including Kleußerin, Kleußner, Kloessner, Kleußen, and Kleußerin.
The surnames related to Kleußer fall into three broad categories of variants: biblical, occupational, and geographic. For example, biblical variants of the name are Klosen, Kleinem, and Klosenbaum; occupational variants are Kloessner (a cloth cutter), Kloesener (a corkscrew maker), and Kleußer (a barrel maker); and the geographic variants are Kleußner (a Rhineland version of the name) and Kleußem (the version from the Dutch province of Limburg).
In conclusion, the surname Kleußer has many variants and spellings, as well as numerous related surnames of varying origins. Despite some spelling variations, they all ultimately share a common origin, and many of these variations provide insight into the cultural and linguistic heritage of the name’s first bearer.
Famous people with the name Kleußer
- August Kleußer (1801–1864), German theologian
- Manfred Kleußer (1937–2005), German football coach
- Wilhelm Kleußer (1860–1918), German architect and urban planner
- Markus Kleußer (born 1969), German-born Austrian politician and national councillor for the Austrian Green Party
- Hein Kleußer (born 1940), German writer and publisher
- Karl Kleußer (1866–1945), German inventor and engineer
- Claudia Kleußer (born 1972), German-born Swiss artist
- Jochen Kleußer (born 1948), German-born American humanitarian and writer
- Lothar Kleußer (born 1947), German sculptor
- Sebastian Kleußer (born 1971), German music producer, composer and lyricist.