Is Klaas short for anything?

Yes. Klaas is a nickname in most old records, and it usually points to Nicholas. Less often it stands in for Nicolaas. Expect it in Dutch-immigrant and American records, mostly 1600s-1800s. A record that says Klaas and a record that says Nicholas can easily be the same person, so search both names before you rule anyone out.

Loading tool…

FAQs

Is Klaas a nickname?+

In old records, almost always - it stands for Nicholas or Nicolaas. Treat it as a pointer to a formal name until the documents prove otherwise.

Is Klaas a real name on its own?+

It mostly rode on Nicholas in the eras we track (1600s-1800s). If your ancestor's papers only ever say Klaas, record it as written and keep Nicholas as a candidate.

How does this nickname lookup work?+

It searches a curated dataset of historical nickname-to-formal-name mappings - in both directions - entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on our servers.

Start with one relative and see what comes back.

Add what you remember and AncestorIQ searches for the rest. Free to build your tree for as long as you like.

Start your tree, free

No credit card needed. Your tree stays yours.