2000
#23,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Klimas
A surname derived from the Lithuanian word for "climate" or "weather."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,081 Americans carry the last name Klimas. That puts it at #27,133 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 317,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klimas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 317,072
Census rank
#27,133
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
943
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 943 bearers of the surname Klimas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27133rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klimas
The surname KLIMAS is of Lithuanian origin, derived from the Lithuanian word "klimas" meaning climate or weather. It likely originated as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's connection with a particular climate or weather condition.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname KLIMAS can be traced back to the 16th century in various regions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which at the time encompassed parts of modern-day Lithuania, Belarus, and western Russia. The name was particularly prevalent in the areas around Vilnius and Kaunas.
One of the earliest known references to the name KLIMAS appears in a 1567 land registry document from the town of Trakai, where a certain Jonas Klimas is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the surname had already been established and in use by that time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name KLIMAS was Mykolas Klimas (1640-1701), a Catholic priest and writer from the Vilnius region. He was known for his religious works and contributions to the development of the Lithuanian language during the Lithuanian Renaissance.
Another historical figure with the surname KLIMAS was Juozas Klimas (1787-1854), a Lithuanian poet and playwright from the Samogitia region. He is credited with writing some of the earliest plays in the Lithuanian language and played a significant role in the cultural revival of the nation.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the KLIMAS surname gained wider recognition with the achievements of Petras Klimas (1891-1969), a Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor. Born in Lithuania, he emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s and became known for his works depicting Lithuanian folklore and themes.
During the 20th century, the name KLIMAS also spread to other parts of the world due to Lithuanian emigration and diaspora communities. One notable figure was Jonas Klimas (1934-2000), a Lithuanian-American linguist and author who specialized in Baltic languages and published numerous works on Lithuanian grammar and vocabulary.
While the surname KLIMAS is most commonly associated with Lithuanian heritage, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities, particularly in regions with historical Lithuanian settlements or influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klimas
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Klimas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Klimas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 865
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 44
- Two or more races2.3% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klimas
Klimas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#24,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,032
+28 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 737 places
2020
#27,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 943
-89 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 2,828 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,568 | 1,004 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,305 | 1,032 | 0.35 | +28 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 737 places |
| 2020 | #27,133 | 943 | 0.32 | -89 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 2,828 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Klimas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,305 | #27,133 | -11.6% |
| Count | 1,032 | 943 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.32 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klimas bearers went from 1,032 to 943 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 2,828 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,305 to #27,133.
FAQ
Klimas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klimas?
Name Census estimates that about 1,081 living Americans carry the surname Klimas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 317,072 residents.
How common is Klimas?
Klimas ranks #27,133 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 943 people with the surname Klimas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,081), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Klimas.
Has Klimas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klimas went from 1,032 recorded bearers to 943. That is a decrease of 89 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,305 to #27,133.
What does the Census say about the background of Klimas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimas, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Klimas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klimas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Klimas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Klimas mean?
A surname derived from the Lithuanian word for "climate" or "weather." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Klimas (0.32 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Klimas?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Klimas is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.