2000
#11,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,390
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Krahn
A German habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "crane" or "heron," likely referring to a nearby nesting site.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,774 Americans carry the last name Krahn. That puts it at #12,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krahn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,560
Census rank
#12,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,419 bearers of the surname Krahn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krahn
The surname Krahn is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the region of Rhineland, where it was derived from the German word "Kran," meaning "crane." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who lived near a place frequented by cranes or someone who worked with the birds in some capacity.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, often spelled as "Krane" or "Kranen." One of the earliest documented instances can be found in the Heidelberg Ministerial Records of 1279, where a certain "Henrich Kranen" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Kirchheim.
The name gained prominence during the late medieval period, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria. In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Johann Krahn (1420-1487) was a respected scholar and theologian at the University of Leipzig, known for his contributions to the study of canon law.
As the surname spread across Germany, it underwent several spelling variations, including "Kraan," "Krahn," and "Kraan." In the 16th century, the Krahn family produced a notable member, Hans Krahn (1535-1615), a master glassblower from the city of Nuremberg whose innovative techniques helped advance the art of glassmaking.
Another significant figure bearing the Krahn surname was Johann Friedrich Krahn (1675-1741), a German architect and military engineer who worked extensively in the service of the Prussian King Frederick William I. He is credited with designing several fortifications and military installations throughout the kingdom.
During the 19th century, the Krahn family made its mark in the world of music. Carl Krahn (1803-1879) was a celebrated composer and conductor from Hamburg, renowned for his operas and choral works. His nephew, Ernst Krahn (1859-1927), followed in his footsteps and achieved recognition as a talented violinist and composer.
As the Krahn surname spread beyond Germany, it also found its way into other European countries, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it was sometimes spelled as "Kraan" or "Kran." Despite its geographical dispersion, the name has retained its distinct German roots and continues to be associated with its rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krahn
Among Census respondents with the surname Krahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Krahn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Krahn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,246
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 87
- Two or more races2.6% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krahn
Krahn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,741
+351 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 516 places
2020
#12,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,419
-322 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 805 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,994 | 2,390 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,478 | 2,741 | 0.93 | +351 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 516 places |
| 2020 | #12,283 | 2,419 | 0.81 | -322 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 805 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Krahn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,478 | #12,283 | -7.0% |
| Count | 2,741 | 2,419 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.81 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krahn bearers went from 2,741 to 2,419 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 805 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,478 to #12,283.
FAQ
Krahn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krahn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,774 living Americans carry the surname Krahn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,560 residents.
How common is Krahn?
Krahn ranks #12,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,419 people with the surname Krahn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Krahn.
Has Krahn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krahn went from 2,741 recorded bearers to 2,419. That is a decrease of 322 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,478 to #12,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Krahn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Krahn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,246 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krahn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Krahn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Krahn mean?
A German habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "crane" or "heron," likely referring to a nearby nesting site. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Krahn (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Krahn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.