Find out how popular the last name Kreger is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kreger.

Kreger, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kreger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kreger in America

Kreger is the 8055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kreger surname appeared 4,111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kreger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kreger to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kreger

The surname Kreger is believed to have originated in Germany, likely during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Krüger," which means "innkeeper" or "tavern owner." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in the hospitality industry or owned a tavern.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kreger can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German regions, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. These records often mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Krüger, Kruger, and Kreger.

In the 17th century, a man named Johann Kreger (1624-1667) was noted as a prominent Lutheran theologian and author in Saxony, Germany. His works included theological treatises and commentaries on biblical texts.

During the 18th century, the name Kreger appeared in various genealogical records and parish registers across Germany. For example, Johannes Kreger (1709-1779) was a respected clockmaker and artisan in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, in the Palatinate region.

As people migrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas, the name Kreger spread to new regions. In the late 18th century, a man named Wilhelm Kreger (1760-1832) was recorded as a skilled woodcarver and furniture maker in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

Another notable figure was Carl Kreger (1825-1903), a German-born architect and civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several important buildings and infrastructure projects in New York City during the latter half of the 19th century.

While the surname Kreger has its roots in Germany, it has since been found in various parts of the world, including other European countries, North America, and beyond, carried by families who have migrated and settled in new regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kreger

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kreger.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kreger was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kreger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kreger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kreger, please contact us.

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