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.

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
 * Elijah Klein (born 2000), American football player
 * 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
 * Martina Klein (born 1976), Argentine model and TV presenter
 * 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
 * Leo S. Klein, or Leo Klejn (1927-2019), Russian Jewish archaeologist, anthropologist and philologist
 * 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
 * Wolfgang Klein (linguist) (born 1946), German linguist

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
 * Elijah Klein (born 2000), American football player
 * 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
 * Raul Klein (1932–1998), Brazilian footballer
 * Roelof Klein (1877–1960), Dutch rower
 * Siegmund Klein (1902–1987), American bodybuilder
 * Will Klein (baseball) (born 1999), American baseball player
 * Wolfgang Klein (1941–2017), German athlete

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