2000
#58,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Krapp
A surname possibly derived from the Old German word "krappa" meaning "hook or crook".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 344 Americans carry the last name Krapp. That puts it at #70,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 996,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krapp 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
344
1 in 996,379
Census rank
#70,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
300
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 300 bearers of the surname Krapp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krapp
The surname Krapp is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "krapp," which refers to a plant called "madder" or "dyer's madder," used for dyeing textiles.
The name was initially associated with individuals involved in the dyeing trade or those living near areas where madder was grown or processed. The earliest records of the name Krapp can be found in regions of modern-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony.
Historical references to the surname Krapp can be found in various medieval documents and records. One notable mention is in the Rothenburg ob der Tauber Stadtbuch, a legal document from the late 15th century, which lists several individuals with the surname Krapp residing in the town.
The earliest recorded individual with the surname Krapp is believed to be Hans Krapp, a dyer from Nuremberg, who was born around 1420. Another notable figure was Johann Krapp, a merchant and landowner from Leipzig, who lived in the late 16th century (1558-1632).
In the 17th century, the Krapp family established themselves as prominent citizens in the city of Erfurt, with several members holding positions in the local government and guild system. One such figure was Georg Krapp (1624-1701), a respected merchant and alderman.
During the 18th century, the surname Krapp spread to other regions of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria. A notable individual from this period was Johann Michael Krapp (1724-1789), a renowned artist and engraver from Augsburg.
In the 19th century, the Krapp family continued to make contributions in various fields. One notable individual was Karl Krapp (1808-1879), a German scholar and linguist who specialized in the study of Old Norse literature.
As the name Krapp spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. While there are fewer historical references from other countries, the surname has been carried by individuals of German descent in various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krapp
Among Census respondents with the surname Krapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Krapp 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 Krapp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 279
- Two or more races3.7% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krapp
Krapp 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
#76,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 252
-69 bearers (-21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 17,276 places
2020
#70,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+48 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 5,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,999 | 321 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,275 | 252 | 0.09 | -69 bearers (-21.5%) | Down 17,276 places |
| 2020 | #70,358 | 300 | 0.10 | +48 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 5,917 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 Krapp 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 | #76,275 | #70,358 | 7.8% |
| Count | 252 | 300 | 19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krapp bearers went from 252 to 300 (+19.0% change). The surname moved up 5,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,275 to #70,358.
FAQ
Krapp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krapp?
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the surname Krapp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 996,379 residents.
How common is Krapp?
Krapp ranks #70,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 300 people with the surname Krapp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Krapp.
Has Krapp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krapp went from 252 recorded bearers to 300. That is an increase of 48 (+19.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,275 to #70,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Krapp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krapp, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Krapp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krapp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Krapp (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 Krapp mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Old German word "krappa" meaning "hook or crook". 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 Krapp (0.10 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 Krapp?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.