2000
#6,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Kreider
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a crossroads or intersection, derived from German "Kreuzder".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,477 Americans carry the last name Kreider. That puts it at #6,794 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kreider 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
5.5K
1 in 62,581
Census rank
#6,794
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,776 bearers of the surname Kreider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6794th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreider, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kreider
The surname Kreider is of German origin, derived from the German word "Kreid" or "Kreide," which means "chalk" or "lime." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century and was initially used as an occupational surname for those involved in the production or trade of chalk or lime.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and Franconia in southern Germany. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived near chalk or lime deposits or worked in the chalk or lime industry.
In the 14th century, the surname Kreider appeared in various historical records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, which documented the activities of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Germany by that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Hans Kreider, born in 1487 in the town of Nürnberg, Bavaria. He was a respected craftsman and member of the local guild.
Another notable figure was Johannes Kreider, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He was born in 1523 in the city of Wittenberg, Saxony, and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, the surname Kreider appeared in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. This was likely due to migration patterns and the spread of the name across borders.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname Kreider was Johann Caspar Kreider, born in 1648 in the town of Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg. He was a prominent merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community.
Another figure of note was Anna Maria Kreider, born in 1703 in the city of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse. She was a renowned artist and painter, known for her intricate portraits and landscapes.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Kreider continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where it was carried by immigrants and settlers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kreider
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreider, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kreider 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 Kreider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 4,505
- Two or more races2.4% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 32
- Black or African American0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kreider
Kreider 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
#6,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,365
+690 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 311 places
2020
#6,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,776
-589 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,664 | 4,675 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,353 | 5,365 | 1.82 | +690 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 311 places |
| 2020 | #6,794 | 4,776 | 1.60 | -589 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 441 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 Kreider 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 | #6,353 | #6,794 | -6.9% |
| Count | 5,365 | 4,776 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 1.60 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kreider bearers went from 5,365 to 4,776 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 441 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,353 to #6,794.
FAQ
Kreider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kreider?
Name Census estimates that about 5,477 living Americans carry the surname Kreider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,581 residents.
How common is Kreider?
Kreider ranks #6,794 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,776 people with the surname Kreider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kreider.
Has Kreider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kreider went from 5,365 recorded bearers to 4,776. That is a decrease of 589 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,353 to #6,794.
What does the Census say about the background of Kreider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreider, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) 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 Kreider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (4,505 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kreider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%), 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 Kreider (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 Kreider mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a crossroads or intersection, derived from German "Kreuzder". 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 Kreider (1.60 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 share the surname Kreider?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.