2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kreb
A topographic surname signifying someone who lived near a small body of water or marsh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kreb. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kreb 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kreb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kreb
The surname Kreb has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "kreb," which means "crab" or "cancer." This name was likely initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who exhibited characteristics associated with crabs, such as a sideways gait or a tendency to move in a crab-like manner.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various German records and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries, often spelled as "Kreb," "Krebe," or "Krebs." One notable early bearer of the name was Hans Kreb, a merchant from Nuremberg who was mentioned in a trade document from 1423.
The Kreb surname has been found in several historical records throughout Germany, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which contains references to individuals with the surname Kreb from the 15th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kreb was Johann Kreb (c. 1430-1501), a German theologian and humanist from Nuremberg. He was a prominent figure in the Renaissance and is known for his contributions to the study of classical literature.
Another notable bearer of the name was Hans Kreb (1570-1634), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works, which include portraits and religious scenes, can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
In the 17th century, Johann Kreb (1616-1686) was a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is known for his contributions to the development of the Protestant church music tradition in Germany.
During the 18th century, Johann Gottlob Kreb (1715-1790) was a German jurist and legal scholar from Saxony. He is notable for his writings on civil law and his work as a professor of law at the University of Leipzig.
As the name spread throughout Germany and later to other parts of Europe, it was often associated with certain geographical locations, leading to the formation of place names such as Krebsbach (Crab Creek) and Krebsmühle (Crab Mill).
While the Kreb surname has its roots in Germany, it has since been adopted by families in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchange that have occurred over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kreb
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kreb 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 Kreb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kreb
Kreb 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-2 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,599 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-13 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 9,599 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 13,649 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 Kreb 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 | #131,379 | #145,028 | -10.4% |
| Count | 129 | 116 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kreb bearers went from 129 to 116 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 13,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kreb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kreb?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kreb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kreb?
Kreb ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kreb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kreb.
Has Kreb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kreb went from 129 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kreb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreb, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Kreb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kreb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (8.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Kreb (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 Kreb mean?
A topographic surname signifying someone who lived near a small body of water or marsh. 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 Kreb (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 Kreb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.