Surname Klaves - Meaning and Origin

Klaves: What does the surname Klaves mean?

The last name Klaves is a German surname. It is derived from the Middle High German word Klavesse, meaning "key." As such, the original bearer of the family name was likely someone who held a prestigious place in a Medieval court, either as a trusted advisor or a door keeper.

Klaves is most commonly associated with the city of Pilsen, located in the Czech Republic, which was home to many of the earliest bearers of the name. However, there is evidence of the surname being present in other countries such as Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.

In addition to its meaning of "key," the surname Klaves has been thought to have been derived from the Middle High German words klaffen, meaning "to cleave," and possibly klavegen, meaning "to worship."

Appearing in records as far back as the 13th century, Klaves is believed to have been carried from the Palatine region of Germany into nearby Czech Republic. The surname was eventually widely adopted in various areas of Europe and the United States. Today, it is a distinct surname, with those bearing it spread across the globe.

Klaves: Where does the name Klaves come from?

The last name Klaves is most commonly found in Central and Eastern Europe today. It is of Czech origin and derived from "klaveš", meaning "key". In the Czech Republic, Klaves is the 37th most common last name, as of 1990. It is also found in Slovakia and Poland.

Klaves can also be found more sparsely throughout Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Additionally, it is important to note that this surname can be found in the United States, Australia, and other countries due to emigration from the countries mentioned above.

The percentage of Klaves in the population could be an indication of a shared ancestry among the people who bear this name. It could suggest that those with Czech heritage carry the Klaves last name more widely than those of other backgrounds. Furthermore, many places in the Czech Republic, as well as other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, have preserved the surname for multiple generations.

Ultimately, the last name Klaves is likely to stay common among the populations of Central and Eastern Europe and could continue to be passed down through the generations. Additionally, many who carry the name have since emigrated, bringing it to other parts of the globe.

Variations of the surname Klaves

The surname Klaves originates from Germany and can have various spellings and variants. These include Klaas, Claas, Claasen, Clasen, Klawes, Clauss and Kloss. Variants with the same origin often derived from emigrants from Germany centuries ago, changing their surname for easier pronunciation or spelling depending on the language and home country they moved to.

Klaves can also be heard in other forms such as Kalbs, Kalbz, Kalvas,Kalbus, Kalbuss and Kalbes, indicating different spelling and regional forms. Other spellings may also include Klavs or Klaves with two f's in the middle. There are also rarer variants such as Klavsmann, Klavts, Dr. Klaussmeier and Klavey.

The variant Klauss is commonly found in the United States and traditionally refers to people of German origin. The Northern German pronunciation is klahs with emphasis on the first syllable and could be an emphasis of the surnames origin. The variant Closs is more commonly heard in Southwestern German states such as Baden-Württemberg with the suffix "-en" being dropped over time. The variant Claassen can be found in the Dutch language and is heard more in the Benelux countries.

Variations of Klaves such as Kalbs can also be found in the Jewish surnames with a variety of spellings. This may indicate that some of these variants of this surname have a Jewish background, however this is unclear.

To conclude, there are many variations, surnames and spellings of the same origin for the surname Klaves originating from Germany in the past centuries. These include Klaas, Claas, Claasen, Clasen, Klawes, Clauss, Kloss, Kalbs, Kalbz, Kalvas, Kalbus, Kalbuss, Kalbes, Klavs, Klavey, Klavsmann, Klavts, Dr. Klaussmeier, Klauss, and Claassen.

Famous people with the name Klaves

• Paulina Klaves: German cyclist, won a silver medal at the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
• David Klaves: Czech professional ice hockey goaltender.
• Ivanka Klavesová: Czech professional artistic gymnast, 3-time senior champion of the Czech Republic.
• Milan Klaves: Czech professional footballer, plays for NK Celje.
• František Klaves: Czech professional ice hockey player, 30-year veteran of HC Sparta Prague.
• Nikol Klavesová: Czech professional snowboarder who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
• Jan Klaves: Czech professional volleyball player who plays for Dukla Liberec.
• Lenka Klavesová: Czech professional ice dancer, represented the Czech Republic in the 2013 World Championships.
• Eliška Klavesová: Czech professional handball player, part of the HC Kometa Brno team.
• Martin Klaves: Czech professional volleyball player, signed with VK AGEL Prostějov in 2021.

Other surnames