Surname Kleynhans - Meaning and Origin
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Kleynhans: What does the surname Kleynhans mean?
The surname Kleynhans is of Dutch origin . It is commonly found in South Africa due to Dutch colonization. 'Klein' means 'small' or 'little' in Dutch, and 'hans' is a diminutive form for Johannes (John), thus the literal translation would be "Little John". It could have originally been given as a nickname to a person who had a small stature or to differentiate between two people with the same name, likely from a younger person named John. As with many other surnames, it functions as a form of identification, carrying significance in family lineage. However, over time, its literal meaning generally loses importance, as the last name is passed down through generations. The name Kleynhans represents a part of the Dutch influence on the Afrikaans language, a language spoken primarily in South Africa and Namibia.
Order DNA origin analysisKleynhans: Where does the name Kleynhans come from?
The surname Kleynhans is of Dutch origin, and it's believed to be patronymic, derived from the personal name "Klein," which means "small" or "lowery," and the suffix "-hans" which has been identified as a diminutive of the name Johan or Johannes. Therefore, Kleynhans could loosely be translated as “little Johan.”
Today, the surname Kleynhans is predominantly found in South Africa, which can be traced back to the country’s history of Dutch settlement. In the 17th century, the Dutch were among the first Europeans who traveled to South Africa and established a settlement there. During this period, these settlers and their descendants became known as Afrikaners or Boers, who have Dutch, German and French ancestry.
Since then, the Kleynhans surname has become common among Afrikaans speaking South Africans. Hence, you are likely to find the highest concentration of individuals with the Kleynhans surname in South Africa today. In addition, due to globalization and migration, it can also be found in lesser concentrations in other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Kleynhans
The surname Kleynhans is of German origin, indicating the name likely started out as Klein or Kleine, with variations including Kleins, Kleinman, and Kleinmann. The "hans" part of the surname is a pet form of Johannes or Hans, introducing additional potential variations like Johan or Johann.
The surname could have alternatively originated from Dutch, as there is a notable presence of this surname in South Africa, a country with significant Dutch influence. Dutch surnames frequently add "-s" or "-sen" to signify "son of." Thus, variations like Kleyn, Kleyns, or Kleynsen could be possible.
It's believed the surname may also have variants like Kleinhans and Kleynhantz. Variations with the use of 'y' and 'i' are common in names of Germanic or Dutch origin. So, "Kleinhans" could possibly be spelled as "Kleinhans", "Klienhans" or "Klienhans".
Bear in mind, surname variants often come about due to errors in recording, regional pronunciation differences, and Anglicization, which may lead to further spelling variants. In the case of Kleynhans, immigrations records might have recorded it as Cleinhans, Clainhans or even Clainhan.
The surnames researched here are speculative and based on linguistic rules; specific family history research may reveal other variants.
Famous people with the name Kleynhans
- Dean Kleynhans: South African Paralympian and cricketer.
- Nico Kleynhans: South African cricket umpire.
- Neels Kleynhans: Canadian-based actor.
- Anneliese Kleynhans: South African photographer and actress.
- Polla Kleynhans: South African professional golfer.
- Regardt Kleynhans: South African rugby union player.
- Carin Kleynhans: South African businessperson and educational consultant.
- Jan Kleynhans: South African sculptor.
- Anemone Kleynhans: South African wildlife artist.
- Josh Kleynhans: Canadian rapper.