Klein (surname)

Klein is the Dutch, German and Afrikaans word for "small", which came to be used as a surname, and thence passed into the names of places, concepts and discoveries associated with bearers of this surname.

It is also a common Jewish surname in the United States, Europe and Brazil.

Politics and government

Aaron Klein (born 1979), senior adviser, chief strategist for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Arthur George Klein (1904–1968), United States Representative from New York
Clayton Klein (born 1949), American politician in Oregon
Ezra Klein (born 1984), American political writer
Herb Klein (journalist) (1918–2009), American journalist, President Nixon's communications director
Herb Klein (politician) (born 1930), American politician
Herbert G. Klein (1918–2009), American political aide
Jacob Theodor Klein ("Plinius Gedanensium") (1685–1759), Prussian jurist, historian, botanist, mathematician and diplomat
Jacques Paul Klein (born 1939), French-born United States diplomat
Joe Klein (born 1946), American writer for Time magazine
Karsten Klein (born 1977), German politician
Louis Klein (1759–1845), French politician and peer, General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Louis Christian Klein (1832–1900), German American politician in Wisconsin
Norbert Klein (1956–2021), Dutch politician
Ottilie Klein (born 1984), German politician
Ralph Klein (1942–2013), Canadian politician
Ron Klein (born 1957), American (Florida) politician
Volkmar Klein (born 1960), German politician

Entertainment and music

Klein (musician), recording artist, producer and singer from South London
Alan Klein (born 1940), English singer and songwriter (New Vaudeville Band)
Allen Klein (1931–2009), manager for the Beatles and Rolling Stones
Barbara Lynn Klein (born 1950), American Playboy model, actress and singer known as Barbi Benton
Carol Joan Klein (born 1942), American composer and singer-songwriter better known by her stage name Carol King
Chris Klein (born 1979), American actor
Dani Klein (born 1953), stage name of Danielle Schoovaerts (born 1953), Belgian singer and songwriter
Elisabeth Klein (1911–2004), Hungarian-Danish pianist
Ethan Klein (born 1985), American Youtuber
Gary Klein (born 1942), songwriter, record producer, and co-writer of "(I Wanna Be) Bobby's Girl"
Gene Klein (born 1949), American musician and member of Kiss, better known as "Gene Simmons"
Gideon Klein (1919–1945), pianist and composer
Jesper Klein (1944–2011), Danish actor
Jim Klein, American composer and songwriter
Joey Klein, Canadian actor and film director
Joost Klein (born 1997), Dutch hip hop artist
Mannie Klein (1908–1994), American jazz trumpeter
Marci Klein (born 1967), American Emmy-winning television producer
Mark Klein (born 1993), American singer-songwriter
Oscar Klein (1930–2006), Austrian-born jazz trumpeter
Robert Klein (born 1942), American stand-up comedian and actor
Susan Klein, inventor of the Klein Technique, a movement/dance technique studied by Garry Stewart

Literature

A. M. Klein (Abraham Moses Klein, 1909–1972), Canadian poet
Aaron J. Klein (1960–2016), Israeli author and journalist
Augusta Klein (1866–1943), English author
Bradley S. Klein (born 1954), American author, architecture editor for Golf Week magazine
Charles Klein (1867–1915) London-born American playwright
Chuck Klein (born 1947) American author
Daniel Martin Klein (born 1939), American author
Ernest Klein (1899 – February 4, 1983), Canadian linguist, author, and rabbi
Gérard Klein (born 1937), French science fiction writer
Hannelore Klein (born 1927), German-born American linguist and write known as Laureen Nussbaum
Joe Klein (born 1946), American journalist and novelist (Primary Colors)
Josef K. Klein (1896–1971), Bulgarian poet of Austrian origin known by the pseudonym Gustav Heinse
Julius Leopold Klein (1810–1876), Hungarian dramatist
Marlon Klein (born 1957), German world music and fusion musician and producer
Naomi Klein (born 1970), Canadian author and activist
Nathan Klein (1923–2004), Ukrainian-born Israeli poet known as Natan Yonatan
Robin Klein (born 1936), Australian author of children's books
T. E. D. Klein (born 1947), American horror writer and editor

Academics and technology

Aaron E. Klein (1930–1998), American historian of science
Abel Klein (born 1945), American mathematician
Christine Klein, German physician
Dan Klein, American computer scientist
Daniel Klein (grammarian) (Lithuanian: Danielius Kleinas; 1609–1666), German-Lithuanian pastor and grammarian
Daniel B. Klein (born 1962), American economist
Emanuel Edward Klein (1844–1925), British bacteriologist
Esther Klein (married name Esther Szekeres; 1910–2005), Hungarian–Australian mathematician
Etienne Klein (born 1958), French physicist and philosopher of science
Felix Klein (1849–1925), German mathematician
Fritz Klein (1888–1945), German Nazi physician and war criminal
Fritz Klein (sex researcher) (1932–2006), American sex researcher
Gary A. Klein (born 1944), American research psychologist
George Klein (inventor) (1904–1992), Canadian inventor
Heinz Klein (1940–2008), American sociologist
Jacob Theodor Klein (1685–1759), Prussian botanist
Jan Klein (born 1936), Czech-American immunologist
Lawrence Klein (1920–2013), American economist
Luella Klein (–2019), American obstetrician-gynecologist and professor
Martin J. Klein (1924–2009), American science historian of physics
Marty Klein (born 1950), American sex therapist
Melanie Klein (1882–1960), British psychotherapist
Oskar Klein (1894–1977), Swedish physicist
Richard Klein (paleoanthropologist) (born 1941), American paleoanthropologist
Sabra Klein, American microbiologist
Wilhelm Klein (1850–1924), Hungarian-Austrian archeologist
Willem Klein (1912–1986), Dutch mathematician and famous mental calculator

Art

Aart Klein (1909–2001), Dutch photographer
Anna Klein (painter) (1883–1941), German landscape, animal and genre painter
Franz Klein (1779–1840), Viennese sculptor, who created a famous bust of Beethoven
Fred Klein (1898–1990), Dutch painter active in France; father of Yves Klein
Mary-Austin Klein (born 1964), American artist
Roman Klein (1858–1924), Russian architect
Todd Klein (born 1951), comic book letterer
Vilhelm Klein (1835–1913). Danish architect
William Klein (1926–2022), American-born French photographer and filmmaker
Yves Klein (1928–1962), French painter, son of Fred Klein

Religion

Ernest Klein (1899–1983), Canadian linguist and rabbi
Félix Klein (1862–1953), French priest and theologian
Isaac Klein (1905–1979), American rabbi
Menashe Klein (1924–2011), American rabbi
Norbert Klein (1866–1933), Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights

Business and industry

Anne Klein (1923–1974), American fashion designer
Bill Klein (businessman) (born c. 1948), American businessman and poker player
Calvin Klein (fashion designer) (born 1942), American fashion designer
David Klein (1946), Invented Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.
David Klein (1935–2021), governor, Bank of Israel
Fernando Heydrich Klein (1827–1903) German businessman, politician, engineer and sculptor
Gary Klein creator of Klein bicycles.
Jonathan Klein (CNN), president of the American television news network CNN
Jonathan Klein (Getty Images) (born 1960), founder of Getty Images
Leonardo Farkas Klein (born 1967), Chilean businessman
Mathias Klein, founder of Klein Tools
Michel Klein (born 1958), French fashion designer
Robin Klein (venture capitalist) (born 1947), British entrepreneur and investor

Sports

Abraham Klein (referee) (born 1934), Israeli football referee
Ágnes Keleti (born 1921), born Klein, Hungarian-Israeli Olympic champion artistic gymnast
Brydan Klein (born 1989), Australian-born British tennis player
Chris Klein (soccer) (born 1976), American soccer player
Chuck Klein (1904–1958), American baseball player
Collin Klein (born 1989), American football player
Dede Klein (1910–1966), Canadian ice hockey player
Dieter Klein (born 1988), South African cricketer
Ernest Klein (1910–1990), Austrian-British chess master and author
Erwin Klein (d. 1992), American table tennis player
Frederick C Klein (born 1938), American sportswriter
Hanna Klein, German athlete
Herbert Klein (swimmer) (1923–2001), German swimmer
Jackie Klein (born 1937), American artistic gymnast
Joe Klein (baseball executive) (1942–2017), American baseball executive
Kevin Klein (born 1984), Canadian ice hockey player
Kristin Klein (born 1970), American volleyball player (1959–1993)
Ľudovít Klein (born 1995), Slovak mixed martial artist
Martin Klein (footballer), Czech international footballer
Martin Klein (wrestler) (1884–1947), Estonian wrestler
Michael Klein (footballer) (1959–1993), Romanian international footballer
Noeki Klein (born 1983), Dutch water polo player
Perry Klein (born 1971), American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons
Ralph Klein (basketball) (1931–2008), Israeli basketball player and coach
Roelof Klein (1877–1960), Dutch rower
Siegmund Klein (1902–1987), American bodybuilder

Other

Carol Klein (born 1945), British gardening broadcaster and writer
Fritz Klein (1888–1945), German Nazi doctor hanged for war crimes
Gerda Weissmann Klein (1924–2022), Holocaust survivor
Hans Klein (1891–1944), German Luftwaffe Major-General
Johannes Klein (died 1926), German First World War flying ace
Mark Klein (fl. 2006), American whistleblower and former AT&T technician
Suzy Klein (born 1975), British music and arts broadcaster