Surname Clöss - Meaning and Origin
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Clöss: What does the surname Clöss mean?
The last name Clöss (also spelled Clauss) is a Germanic surname that originates from the Middle Ages. In German, the word "clöss" or "klöss" has its roots in the Old High German word "klusk" which means "close" and indicates closeness or a near relative. It is possible that originally the name denoted a person who lived near a relative, close relative or family.
In the 1500s, the Clöss surname began to appear in German records with Christoffer Clöss in Klingenthal in 1581 being the earliest reference. Other records from the 16th and 17th centuries show the Clöss surname being used in the small towns of Ehingen, Weil im Schönbuch, and Ostrach in Baden-Württemberg. By the 18th century, the surname had spread to other parts of Germany, including the northwestern provinces of Schleswig-Holstein and East Prussia, and had also traveled across the border to Switzerland and Austria.
Today, the surname is most commonly found in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the United States. Many members of families bearing the name Clöss are descendants of immigrants who left Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. Given its long-standing roots in Germany, the last name Clöss is a distinctively Germanic surname. It continues to be a testament to the endurance of Germanic family names throughout the centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisClöss: Where does the name Clöss come from?
The last name Clöss is most commonly found in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as countries which have significant German populations, such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.
The name is derived from the German word 'kloss', which means 'clamp' or 'clasp'. Its most likely origin is as a nickname given to a person who was good at fixing things with a clamp or vice-like grip. It is speculated that the name may have originally been used to describe someone as iron-fisted.
In Germany today, the name Clöss is predominantly found in the city of Osnabrück in the state of Lower Saxony. According to genealogical research, the name Clöss has been present in the region for at least 500 years.
Outside of Germany, the Clöss family name is found to be most numerous in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to a 2015 analysis by Forebears, there were 1,004 individuals in the US who bore the name. The UK was home to 69 individuals with the name.
Overall, the surname Clöss is a very rare one, occurring less than one-hundredth of one percent of the time, per the 2015 Forebears analysis. While its geographical origin was in Germany, today it can be found spread throughout the world.
Variations of the surname Clöss
The surname Clöss has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, which include: Kloss, Klöss, Kleiss, Klys, Kless, Kloess, Kloos, Kloess, Kloose, Kloes, Klöse, Klössen, Kloesser, Cloos, and Clösser.
The German spelling of Clöss is “Klöss”, and it is the most common spelling of the surname. The ancestral homelands for this surname include Germany, the Netherlands and German-speaking countries of Europe.
The surname derives from the Middle High German word “Kloos”, which was an occupational term referring to locksmiths. Alternately, it also originated from the middle High German word “Kloes” or the old German “Kluos”, which were terms for a hilly or undulating landscape. In some cases, the surname can be a locational name, used to denote someone who was from a place called “Cloose” or “Cloos”.
Early examples of the surname use can be traced back to the Hesse region of Germany around the 13th century and in Brandenburg in the 15th century. By the 17th century, variants of the surname had spread to the countries of Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Bohemia, and the Netherlands. By the 18th century, settlers bearing variants of this surname had arrived in the American colonies of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Today, people with variants of the surname Clöss are predominantly found in Germany, the United States, and South Africa.
Famous people with the name Clöss
- Rebecca Clöss: German actress
- Lutz Clöss: Brandenburg politician
- César Clöss: Argentine political scientist
- Herbert Clöss: Swiss actor
- Klaus Clöss: German television presenter
- Mario Clöss: Argentine musician and singer-songwriter
- Trachelle Clöss: Singer-Songwriter from New Zealand
- Cyril Clöss: Italian snowboarder
- Manfred Clöss: German politician
- Michael Clöss: German educational consultant