Surname Kleine-Jäger - Meaning and Origin
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Kleine-Jäger: What does the surname Kleine-Jäger mean?
The last name Kleine-Jäger is German in origin and comes from a combination of two words, “Kleine” meaning “small” and “Jäger” meaning “hunter”. It can be interpreted as a descriptive name for someone who is of smaller stature and is likened to a hunter. It may have been a nickname given to someone who was adept at hunting or who was a particularly proficient hunter. Or it could have referred to someone who made a small living from hunting. We cannot be sure of the original interpretation as surnames were not officially adopted until more recently.
Today, the surname Kleine-Jäger is more likely to be associated with someone who is small in stature, and not necessarily linked to the hunter analogy. It has also been used by aristocrats in Germany and is included in the Deutschen Adelsmatrikel, a register of noble lineages.
Kleine-Jäger is a relatively rare surname with few people bearing it. It is mostly used in Germany, although a few people may have adopted it after migrating and settling in other countries. They may have done this out of a sense of pride for their ancestral name or simply to preserve their history and heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisKleine-Jäger: Where does the name Kleine-Jäger come from?
The last name Kleine-Jäger is predominantly found in Germany and Austria. It is derived from the German word "Kleine Jäger," which means "small hunter." The surname is believed to have originated in Medieval Germany as German royalty used to hunt with small hunters or pets such as falcons or squirrels.
The Kleine-Jäger family name is most common in the German states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein. It is rarer in other parts of Germany, and is not found in as high of numbers in the United States.
Today, the Kleine-Jäger name can be found in other places around the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the countries of Central and South America. People of Kleine-Jäger descent that have migrated to other nations often have changed the spelling of the surname in order to make it easier to pronounce in their new language or culture. For example, the surname could be spelled Klein-Jäger, Kleyne-Jäger, Kline-Jäger, Kleinjager, Kleijnjager, Kleyne jager, Klein-Jager, or Kleyn Jager, depending on the location.
Regardless of its exact spelling, the Kleine-Jäger name has a rich history and is still widely used today in many parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Kleine-Jäger
The surname Kleine-Jäger is a patronymic surname, derived from a Germanic given name meaning “small hunter”. It is derived from the German words “klein” meaning “small” and “jäger” meaning “hunter”. This surname developed in different spellings and variants. Among these are Kleinjäger, Kleinejager, Kleinejeger, Kleine Jager, Kleine-Jager, Kleine-Jäger, Kleine Jäger, Kleiner Jäger and Kleinjager.
Kleine-Jäger is also an anglicised version of the surname, with anglicised versions resulting from changes in spelling due to historical events and the varying languages within Europe. As an anglicised version, it can also be spelled Kleinejager, Kleinejeger, Kleine Jager, Kleine-Jager and Kleiner Jäger.
This patronymic surname may have also developed various similar surnames due to its changing spelling and origin. These similar surnames include Kleinkjäger, Kleijnjager, Kleijnejager, Kleinje Jager, Kleijnjäger, Kleijn Jäger, Kleijner Jäger and Kleinejer.
All of these variants of the Kleine-Jäger surname are related to the original Germanic given name, and they are all derived from the same origin.
Famous people with the name Kleine-Jäger
- Debora Kleine-Jäger: A professional German tennis player who held a career high rank of the 333rd in the World Women's Tennis Rankings.
- Hannelore Kleine-Jäger: A German fencer who won a silver medal in the team foil event at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
- Horst Kleine-Jäger: A former professional football player from Germany who earned fourteen caps for the German national team between 1972 and 1978.
- Laura Kleine-Jäger: An Emmy Award-winning television director from Germany.
- Lars Kleine-Jäger: A German music producer and musician.
- Peter Kleine-Jäger: An internationally recognized martial artist from Germany.
- Andreas Kleine-Jäger: An alpine skier who has competed for Germany at four World Ski Championships.
- Bastian Kleine-Jäger: A CEO from Germany.
- Carsten Kleine-Jäger: A German documentary filmmaker who has won multiple awards for his work.
- Matthias Kleine-Jäger: A successful German entrepreneur.