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Klopfer Family History

Klopfer Surname Meaning

South German (also Klöpfer) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Middle High German klopfære German Klo(e)pfer a noun derivative of Middle High German klopfen ‘to pound bang or hammer’. This could denote someone working in the wool, hemp, or millinery trades, a miner, metal worker, or hunter.

For Jews, it can also refer to the occupation of one who knocks, calling people to synagogue, called shulkloper, shulkleper in Yiddish, Germanized to Schulklopfer.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Klopfer family from?

You can see how Klopfer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Klopfer family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Klopfer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Klopfer families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Klopfer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Klopfer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Klopfer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Klopfer ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Klopfer. 16% of Klopfer men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Klopfer women worked as a Secretary. Some less common occupations for Americans named Klopfer were Machinist and Clerk.

View Census Data for Klopfer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    13%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Machinist
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    24%
  • Housewife
    20%
  • Waitress
    15%
  • Clerk
    15%

What Klopfer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Klopfer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Klopfer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Klopfer

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Klopfer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Klopfer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Klopfer. For the veterans among your Klopfer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Klopfer family history

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What is the average Klopfer lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Klopfer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Klopfer in 1944 was 40, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Klopfer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Klopfer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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