2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Krebel
A German surname derived from a regional nickname for someone who lived near a crab-filled creek or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Krebel. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krebel 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Krebel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krebel
The surname KREBEL is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "krev," which meant "crab." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who caught or traded in crabs, or perhaps even a nickname given to someone with a crab-like appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 14th century, when a Johannes Krebel was mentioned in the Kaufbücher von Frankfurt am Main, a historical record of trade transactions in the city of Frankfurt. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of Kirchheimbolanden, a town in the Palatinate region of modern-day Germany. An entry from 1587 mentions a Matthias Krebel, who may have been a descendant of the original Krebel family.
During the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Krebel (1621-1677), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His works on theology and philosophy were influential in his time and helped establish the Krebel name among the intelligentsia.
Another notable figure bearing the KREBEL surname was Johann Friedrich Krebel (1713-1790), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in the city of Mannheim, including the Mannheim Palace and the Mannheim National Theater.
In the 19th century, the name gained international recognition with the birth of Johann Michael Krebel (1833-1905), a German-American artist and engraver who immigrated to the United States and became known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and historical scenes.
As the centuries passed, the KREBEL surname spread beyond its German roots, with families bearing the name found in various parts of Europe and, later, in the Americas and other parts of the world. Despite its diverse geographic distribution, the name's origins can be traced back to the Low German word "krev" and its association with the humble crab.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krebel
Among Census respondents with the surname Krebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Krebel 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 Krebel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krebel
Krebel 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,233 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 15,233 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,292 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 Krebel 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 | #148,347 | #151,639 | -2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 107 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krebel bearers went from 111 to 107 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #151,639.
FAQ
Krebel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krebel?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Krebel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Krebel?
Krebel ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Krebel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Krebel.
Has Krebel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krebel went from 111 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Krebel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Krebel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krebel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Krebel (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 Krebel mean?
A German surname derived from a regional nickname for someone who lived near a crab-filled creek or stream. 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 Krebel (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 have the last name Krebel?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Krebel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.