Klotz
A German surname that originally came from a nickname for a stocky, heavy, or clumsy person.
The #5,754 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,278 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Klotz is generally explained from Middle High German and related German dialect words meaning a block, lump, or log of wood. As a nickname, it could describe someone broad, bulky, or heavy-set, and by extension someone seen as rough or clumsy. The historical notes also connect it with older Germanic name elements in some forms, but the clearest and most common explanation is the nickname sense.
History
The name is well attested in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname collections in several related spellings. Like many German nicknames, it could become hereditary as family names stabilized in the late medieval and early modern periods. It remains especially recognizable in Germany and among descendants of German emigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In German, klotz can still suggest a blocky lump or a big chunk of something, which fits the surname’s older nickname sense.
From the historical record
“Kl^tseh, Klott s. Hlod (einst. K.). Klotz a) I. s. Hlod b) IH. „vierschrötiger, plumper Mensch ". Vgl. Marquardus dictus Block (Truncus). Klnbertz s. Glaw.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen