Surname Klawes - Meaning and Origin
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Klawes: What does the surname Klawes mean?
The last name Klawes is a German, Yiddish, and Jewish surname derived from the word “klauz,” meaning “claw” or “talon” in both German and Yiddish languages. It is a variation of the German name “Klaue” and is an occupational last name referring to a person who was a professional claw maker. It is thought that this surname originated and became popular in northern and western Germany during the Middle Ages.
The first known historical record of the Klawes surname is a 13th-century record from the German area of Brandenburg, where a man named Heine Klawes was recorded in 1266. In 1772 the Klawes family arrived in the United States and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By the 1890s the Klawes was found throughout much of the United States, specifically in California, New Jersey, and New York.
The Klawes surname can also be found in the Netherlands, Australia, and other parts of the world. Today the holders of the Klawes surname can be found scattered throughout the United States, Europe, and beyond, many of them still taking pride in their ancestral roots and ancient family history.
Order DNA origin analysisKlawes: Where does the name Klawes come from?
The last name Klawes is most commonly seen today in regions of Germany and Jewish communities in the United States. As a Germanic surname, Klawes was most likely taken on by those of Jewish descent living in Germany. This is due to the widespread adoption of German last names by Jewish people in the 19th century, when German surnames became more common.
In the United States, the Klawes name is most prominent in Jewish communities such as New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles. A recent report in the journal “Jewish Genealogy” mentioned that this name is largely distributed among the Ashkenazim, an ethnic Jewish subgroup.
The Klawes name is also seen in other parts of the world such as Brazil, Israel, and even South Africa. In the late 19th century, around the time of World War II, many Jews were forced to migrate from the German region. Consequently, the Klawes name was spread across the world and is still found in many Jewish communities today.
Despite its origins in Germany, the Klawes surname has now spread around the world and appears in a range of countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Variations of the surname Klawes
The Klawes surname is an occupational name that refers to metalworking, derived from the German word “Klauen” meaning “claws.” The variant spelling of the Klawes family name is Klaws, Clawes, Claws, Klaues, Klowes, Kloce, Klows, and Kluce. Other historical spellings include Claues, Klauss, and Klause.
Many of the Klawes descendants settled in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s. The surname is primarily found in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio. It is possible that some of the Klawes surnames may have originated with immigrants from other countries.
Klawes is the preferred spelling in American contexts. In the United Kingdom, other variants, such as Kloce and Klowes are more common. In areas with a large German immigrant population, such as Australia, variants that appear closer to the original German spelling, like Kluce and Klause, are more prominent.
The Klaws surname is derived from the same German root word as the Klawes surname, and is also an occupational name for metalworkers. It is the most popular surname derived from this root, and the variants of this name include Klaues, Klause, Klauss, and Kurows.
The Kloce and Klowes variants of the Klawes surname are also localised variants of the same name. Kloce is the French variant, which is quite popular in France, while Klowes is the Scottish variant of this surname.
The Clawes surname is an Americanisation of the Klawes surname and is an alternate spelling of the same occupational name. This variant is believed to have been adopted by members of the Klawes family who emigrated to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.
It can be assumed that these variants are likely regional variations of the same surname, all deriving from the German name “Klauen”, suggesting a common origin for the Klawes surname.
Famous people with the name Klawes
- Jonathan Klawe, computer scientist, former president of Harvey Mudd College, and professor at Princeton University.
- Jack Klawe, executive vice-president and chief legal officer of Mattel, Inc.
- Daniel Klawe, founder and managing director of sustainability venture capital firm Fuel Capital.
- Eric Klawes, CEO of Tempest Freerunning.
- Christopher Klawes, well-known stand-up comedian and actor.
- Craig Klawes, Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter.
- Susan Klawes, former New York Times food columnist and author of several cookbooks.
- Peter Klawes, award-winning photographer.
- Allen Klawes, former President of Sun Microsystems.
- Abbe Klawes, curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.