2000
#8,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,484
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Kratzer
A German occupational surname referring to a person who scratches or scrapes, like a wool or cloth carder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,774 Americans carry the last name Kratzer. That puts it at #9,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kratzer 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
3.8K
1 in 90,820
Census rank
#9,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,291 bearers of the surname Kratzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kratzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kratzer
The surname Kratzer has its origins in the German language. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century, in regions that are now part of modern-day Germany and Austria.
The name Kratzer is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "kratz," which means "to scratch" or "to scrape." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade, potentially a person who worked with tools for scratching or scraping, such as a sculptor or a woodcarver.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kratzer can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 14th century. In this codex, there is a reference to a "Johannes Kratzer" from the year 1367.
Another notable early mention of the name Kratzer is in the "Stadtbuch von Augsburg," a city book from the city of Augsburg in Bavaria, which contains records from the 15th century. Here, a "Hans Kratzer" is listed as a resident of the city in the year 1458.
Throughout history, there have been several individuals with the surname Kratzer who have gained recognition in various fields. One example is Nikolaus Kratzer (c. 1487-1550), a German astronomer and mathematician who worked as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and served as the court astronomer to King Henry VIII of England.
Another notable figure is Georg Kratzer (1515-1603), a German physician and botanist who authored several works on medicinal plants and their uses. He was also a professor of medicine at the University of Leipzig.
In the realm of art, there was Johann Kratzer (1705-1754), a German painter and engraver who was known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in Nuremberg and spent much of his career working in various cities across Germany.
Moving into more recent times, there was Johann Kratzer (1758-1830), a German composer and violinist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He composed several operas and other musical works during his lifetime.
Additionally, there was Carl Kratzer (1844-1905), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Bode Museum.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Kratzer, showcasing its presence and significance across various fields and regions, primarily in German-speaking areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kratzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kratzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kratzer 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 Kratzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,061
- Two or more races2.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 77
- Black or African American1.1% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kratzer
Kratzer 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
#9,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,490
+6 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 648 places
2020
#9,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,291
-199 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,684 | 3,484 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,332 | 3,490 | 1.18 | +6 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 648 places |
| 2020 | #9,457 | 3,291 | 1.10 | -199 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 125 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 Kratzer 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 | #9,332 | #9,457 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,490 | 3,291 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.10 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kratzer bearers went from 3,490 to 3,291 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,332 to #9,457.
FAQ
Kratzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kratzer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,774 living Americans carry the surname Kratzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,820 residents.
How common is Kratzer?
Kratzer ranks #9,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,291 people with the surname Kratzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Kratzer.
Has Kratzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kratzer went from 3,490 recorded bearers to 3,291. That is a decrease of 199 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,332 to #9,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Kratzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kratzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Kratzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,061 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kratzer 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 (2.8%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Kratzer (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 Kratzer mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who scratches or scrapes, like a wool or cloth carder. 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 Kratzer (1.10 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 people are called Kratzer?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Kratzer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.