2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kreitinger
A German surname possibly derived from the occupational word "Kreitner" meaning a potter or ceramic maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Kreitinger. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kreitinger 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Kreitinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreitinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kreitinger
The surname Kreitinger is of German origin, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Kreit," which means chalk or limestone. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived in or near areas with chalky or limestone soils.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kreitinger can be found in the Bavarian town of Kreitingen, which dates back to the 13th century. It is likely that the name derived from this place name, as it was common for surnames to be derived from the names of towns or villages during that era.
In the 14th century, there are records of a Konrad Kreitinger, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Kreitingen. His son, Hans Kreitinger, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a town council member in the late 1300s.
The Kreitinger name also appears in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, indicating its presence in various parts of Germany. One notable figure was Johann Kreitinger, a scholar and theologian born in 1492 in Nuremberg. He studied at the University of Wittenberg and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.
During the 17th century, the Kreitinger family had a strong presence in the city of Augsburg. Hans Jakob Kreitinger, born in 1623, was a respected artisan and member of the local guild. His grandson, Andreas Kreitinger, born in 1697, was a renowned clockmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility.
Another notable Kreitinger was Friedrich Kreitinger, a military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1782 in Berlin, he was decorated for his bravery and leadership in several battles against the French forces.
As the Kreitinger family spread throughout Germany and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Kreitinger, Kreitenger, and Kreitinger. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in its German heritage and association with chalky or limestone regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kreitinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreitinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kreitinger 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 Kreitinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 98
- Two or more races7.8% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kreitinger
Kreitinger 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,615 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,615 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Kreitinger 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kreitinger bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Kreitinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kreitinger?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Kreitinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Kreitinger?
Kreitinger ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Kreitinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Kreitinger.
Has Kreitinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kreitinger went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Kreitinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreitinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Kreitinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kreitinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Two or More Races (7.8%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Kreitinger (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 Kreitinger mean?
A German surname possibly derived from the occupational word "Kreitner" meaning a potter or ceramic maker. 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 Kreitinger (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 surname Kreitinger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.