# Klein (surname)

Klein is the German, Dutch 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 the band Kiss, better known as "Gene Simmons"
* Gideon Klein (1919–1945), pianist and composer
* Iris Klein, German model and beauty queen crowned Miss International 1989
* 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

## 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
* Eva Klein (1925–2025), Hungarian-Swedish scientist
* 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
* Samuel Klein (1886–1940), Hungarian-born rabbi, historian and historical geographer
* 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
* Samuel Klein (1923–2014), Polish-Brazilian business magnate

## Sports

* Abraham Klein (referee) (born 1934), Israeli football referee
* Ágnes Keleti (1921–2025), 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
* Marlin Klein (born 2002), German-American football player
* 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