The Quest for an "UR" KLEEN:

An Ancestor or a Fiction?

AN UR KLEEN?  In the beginning of the research, we thought we were simply searching for a common Kleen blood ancestor, and to aid in that search we created the fictional UR Kleen as a placeholder. That approach seemed logical as all of the Kleens were from a relatively small geographical area.  That some were witnesses to christenings across the several family lines suggested that there most be some kind of connection.

FAMILY NAMES  Family names generally evolved from four situations.

            1.  Christening names that were handed down as surnames (using the patronymical patterns described below).

            2.  Special or unusual physical features of an individual.

            3.  Locality or area that a person was from.  This included cases where subsequent owners of lands took on the name of the original owner by which the property was known.

            4.   Occupations.

THE KLEEN SURNAME  As the search has progressed it has become apparent that some of the family lines took up the Kleen surname in the early 1700’s to add to their previous naming pattern. The transition can be seen, for example, in the family of  Tiade Juerts (Kleen).  There the use of  "(Kleen)" indicates the absence of any surname in the records though eventually, for the children and further descendants, the surname "Kleen" is used consistently in the records. 

NAMING PATTERNS  In the old naming pattern, thought sufficient then, a child's name was formed to indicate the identity of the father, as can be seen where Tiade Juerts' name indicated his father's first name in Juert Hinrichs.   That old pattern is seen along with the more modern use of surnames. Thus Toenjes Gerdes Kleen was the son of Gerd Toenjes Kleen who, in like pattern of naming, was likely the son of a Tonnies Janssen   (a valuable aid in a genealogical search!). 

Further details of traditions in naming patterns can be discerned.  A chart for early generations of all the family lines highlights the earliest Kleen surname in each family line and the timing of the shift from a prior naming practice to use of a Kleen surname. The chart shows marriage dates and birth and death dates for spouses and children. It also shows locations.

NO UR!  There is apparently no single ancestor that qualifies as an Ur Kleen, whether using the Kleen surname or "pre-surname".  Nor does "Kleen" seem related to an occupation or a location such as Kleinheide. This naming shift occurred prior to the 1811 decree which required the patriarch of each family (father, grandfather, etc.) to register a permanent surname for his whole family. Was it just that it became a popular name or was there some other common factor?

Our hope is that by posting the results to date, other researchers may challenge or correct information and provide more data that might help us all find the answers. See Comments and Inquiries