Meaning and background
The story behind Klein
Klein has a smallness meaning in the consulted surname reference. Behind the Name identifies German klein and Yiddish kleyn as its sources and records a well-known modern bearer separately. The German and Yiddish forms give the short spelling a clear linguistic background. For a little dog, the size connection can be intentional, while a family-inspired use can retain the surname without making any claim about the animal’s eventual size.
- Origin
- Surname from German klein or Yiddish kleyn, small or little. Source
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Everyday moments“Klein, come here!”
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About Klein
Recorded as a dog’s name
Klein appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2023 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/klaɪn/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/klaɪn/ · primary stress on syllable 1K L AY1 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.