2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kranker
A German surname potentially derived from the German word "krank" meaning sick or ill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kranker. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kranker 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kranker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kranker
The surname Kranker is of German origin, derived from the German word "krank," meaning "sick" or "ill." It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a caregiver or healer of the sick, or as a descriptive surname for someone who was frequently ill or had a physical disability.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kranker can be found in the medieval German records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Kranker was recorded as a resident in the 14th century. Another early reference to the name appears in the records of the city of Leipzig, where a Johannes Kranker was listed as a taxpayer in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Kranker was Matthias Kranker, a German physician and scholar who was born in Augsburg in 1530 and died in 1598. He was known for his contributions to the field of medical botany and his work on the medicinal properties of plants.
Another historical figure bearing the name Kranker was Johann Kranker, a German artist and engraver who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Nuremberg in 1625 and is known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes.
In the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname Kranker was Christian Kranker, a German theologian and philosopher born in Halle in 1725. He was a renowned scholar of his time and made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy.
During the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Kranker surname was Karl Kranker, a German politician and lawyer who was born in Berlin in 1812 and died in 1887. He served as a member of the Prussian parliament and was an influential figure in the German unification movement.
Variations of the name Kranker can also be found in different regions of Germany, such as "Kränker" or "Krankner," reflecting local dialects and spelling variations. Additionally, the name may have been adopted by individuals who settled in other parts of Europe or emigrated to other countries, leading to further variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kranker
Among Census respondents with the surname Kranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kranker 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 Kranker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kranker
Kranker 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,579 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,579 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Kranker 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kranker bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kranker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kranker?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kranker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kranker?
Kranker ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kranker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kranker.
Has Kranker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kranker went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kranker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kranker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (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 Kranker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kranker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (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 Kranker (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 Kranker mean?
A German surname potentially derived from the German word "krank" meaning sick or ill. 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 Kranker (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 people share the surname Kranker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.