2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Krams
A residential surname derived from the German word for a grocer or shopkeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Krams. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krams 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Krams in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krams, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krams
The surname KRAMS originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "kram," which means a small shop or stall, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with traders or merchants.
KRAMS is thought to have its roots in the region of Bavaria, where it was more prevalent in the early days. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various parish records and town registries from that area during the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable historical reference to the KRAMS surname can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from Brandenburg, Germany. In this collection, a certain Johannes KRAMS is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Potsdam in the year 1587.
Another early example of the name is found in the "Annales Fuldenses," a medieval chronicle from the Fulda Abbey in present-day Hesse, Germany. This text references a monk named Sigebertus KRAMS, who lived in the 9th century and was known for his scholarly works.
During the 18th century, the KRAMS name gained some prominence in the city of Stuttgart, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this surname established themselves. One notable figure from this lineage was Friedrich KRAMS (1712-1781), a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated generously to various charitable causes in the city.
In the 19th century, a prominent German writer and philosopher named Johann Gottlieb KRAMS (1784-1854) gained recognition for his works on ethics and moral philosophy. He was born in the town of Gräfenberg and spent much of his life teaching and writing in various academic institutions across Germany.
Another individual of note with the KRAMS surname was Karl KRAMS (1857-1934), a German architect who was instrumental in the design and construction of several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Charlottenburg Palace and the Reichstag building.
While the KRAMS name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical references can be traced back to the German regions, particularly Bavaria and surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krams
Among Census respondents with the surname Krams, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Krams 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 Krams surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 108
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krams
Krams 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,312 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,312 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 1,100 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 Krams 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 | #143,149 | #142,049 | 0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 120 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krams bearers went from 116 to 120 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 1,100 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,049.
FAQ
Krams surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krams?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Krams. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Krams?
Krams ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Krams. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Krams.
Has Krams become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krams went from 116 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Krams?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krams, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Krams in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krams appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Krams (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 Krams mean?
A residential surname derived from the German word for a grocer or shopkeeper. 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 Krams (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Krams?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.