Save Type Surname (from nickname) Usage German, Dutch, Jewish Pronounced Pron. KLIEN(German) [key·IPA] Meaning & History Means "small, little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein (1942-). Related NamesDetails VariantsCline(German) Cline(Jewish) Categories brand names, fashion designers, isograms, sizes