Find out how popular the last name Kraja is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kraja.

Kraja, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kraja surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kraja in America

Kraja is the 66164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kraja surname appeared 299 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kraja.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kraja to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kraja

The surname "KRAJA" is believed to have originated in the region of present-day Croatia, dating back to the late 14th or early 15th century. The name derives from the Old Croatian word "kraj," meaning "edge" or "border," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a territorial boundary or frontier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KRAJA" can be found in a land registry document from the town of Senj, located along the Adriatic coast, in the year 1437. This document mentions a certain Ivan Kraja, who was listed as a landowner in the area. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors had migrated from a region near the border with neighboring territories.

In the 16th century, the surname "KRAJA" appears in various ecclesiastical records, such as baptismal and marriage registers, in the regions of Dalmatia and Istria. This suggests that the name had spread across the coastal areas of what is now modern-day Croatia.

During the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name "KRAJA" was Petar Kraja (1622-1692), a Franciscan friar and scholar from the town of Zadar. He authored several theological treatises and was renowned for his expertise in church law.

Another prominent individual with the surname "KRAJA" was Marko Kraja (1768-1842), a military commander who served in the Austrian Empire's army during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles against the French forces and was awarded various honors for his service.

In the 19th century, the name "KRAJA" can be found in several historical documents from the region of Slavonia, indicating that the surname had spread to the eastern parts of present-day Croatia. One notable bearer from this period was Josip Kraja (1832-1904), a prominent landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and churches in his local community.

Throughout the centuries, variations of the spelling of the surname "KRAJA" have been recorded, including "Kraja," "Krajac," and "Krajačić," reflecting regional linguistic influences and local dialects.

While the surname "KRAJA" has its roots in Croatia, it is also possible that individuals bearing this name may have migrated to other parts of Europe or even overseas, contributing to the global diaspora of Croatian descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kraja

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kraja.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kraja was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kraja has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kraja was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kraja, please contact us.

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