Clein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Clein

What does the name Clein mean?

The name Clein comes from the German province known as the Rhineland. In pre-medieval times, the German people used only one name, but as the population increased, hereditary surnames became necessary for people to maintain unique identities. Clein is a nickname surname, a style of name based on an eke-name, or added name, that described a characteristic of its original bearer. Clein is a name for a small or short person deriving its origin from the German word "klien," which means "small."

Early Origins of the Clein family

The surname Clein was first found in the Rhineland, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Clein family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clein research. Another 246 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1609, 1658, 1666, 1708, 1745, 1761, 1777, 1790, 1818, 1849 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Clein History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clein Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Clein include Klein, Kleinn, Kleine, Kleinne, Kleyn, Kleynn, Kline, Clein, Clein, Cline, Kleiner, Klinertz and many more.

Early Notables of the Clein family

Notables with the name Clein during this period were

Francis Clein or Cleyn (1590?-1658), was a draughtsman, ornamental painter, and etcher, was born at Rostock in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and while a youth displayed such abilities that he was retained in...

Migration of the Clein family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Clein, or one of its variants above: Uldrich Klein, who was the first Klein to come to America: he arrived in New York City in 1641 with his wife Afje Pieters. A wave of Kleins then followed in 1709.