Klaus
Masculine · “victory of the people”
Klaus is Nikolaus shortened — victory of the people, in Greek — and Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus by way of Dutch Sinterklaas.
How old is the name Klaus?
Klaus first appears in US birth records in 1953 — 72 years ago. The typical Klaus alive today was born around 2010, making them about 15 years old. About 1,400 people named Klaus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Klaus most popular?
Klaus peaked in 1968, reaching #1339 nationally. Today it ranks #2230, 891 places below that high. See the whole 1968 chart.
Where it comes from
From nike laos to Klaus
The story of Klaus
Nicholas of Myra gave dowries to three poor sisters by night, which is why he became the patron of secret gift-giving; Dutch Sinterklaas reached New York and English turned it into Santa Claus. Klaus is the standard German short form and appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
victory of the people
Through Nikolaus, from the Greek nike, 'victory', and laos, 'people'. Nike is the goddess and the word alike. The German and Scandinavian short form is Klaus. The Greek elements are ordinary and the compound transparent.
How the name formed
- nike laos
- Nikolaos
- Klaus
Related forms: Klaus · Claus · Nicholas
Pronouncing Klaus
KLOWS
One syllable, rhyming with 'house'. Some English speakers say KLAWZ instead.
Nicknames for Klaus
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1953
- Most boys named
- 202284 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1339reached in 1968
- Change vs 2024
- +8.6%63 in 2025, from 58
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Klaus in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Klaus in German — same name
- Claus in Danish — spelling variant
- Nicholas in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Minnesota.
Klauss among us
people named Klaus are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 27,112 born in 2025 was named Klaus
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Hewitt test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Klaus's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Hewitt climbed just as high around 1914, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Hewitt's path sketches the road Klaus is walking now.
Klaus sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Klaus is headed
Klaus should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Klaus beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Klaus in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That Santa Claus descends from the name is a first-rate piece of history.
- The victory-of-the-people meaning is transparent and strong.
- Nikolaus is available as a full formal version.
- The Santa Claus association is unavoidable in English.
- English speakers regularly mispronounce the vowel.
- It reads as specifically German.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Klaus
Masculine · #2230 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Klauss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,400 people named Klaus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Klaus in 2025?
- Klaus ranks #2230 among US boy names in 2025, with 63 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Klaus?
- About 1 in every 27,112 US boys born in 2025 was named Klaus — 63 in all.
- Will my child share the name Klaus with classmates?
- Klaus will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Klaus
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Sylis#2230 · Damoni#2230 · Rayaan#2230 · Gene#2230 · Tyce#2230 · Vinny#2230 · Earl#2230 · Sora#2230
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Klaus? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Klaus and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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