2000
#12,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Krell
A German surname derived from a nickname meaning "curly-haired" or "coiled," likely referring to a person's curly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,404 Americans carry the last name Krell. That puts it at #13,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,577 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krell 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
2.4K
1 in 142,577
Census rank
#13,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,096 bearers of the surname Krell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krell
The surname Krell is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "krell," which means "thin" or "slender." This could suggest that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was of a slender build.
The name Krell can also be traced back to various place names in Germany, such as Krell, a town in the state of Bavaria, and Krellendorf, a village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is possible that the surname originated from these locations, with early bearers of the name hailing from these areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Krell can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saxony, where a Johannes Krell was mentioned in an entry dated 1564. Additionally, the name appears in the Württembergisches Geschlechterbuch (Württemberg Family Book), a genealogical record from the 17th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Krell throughout history include:
1. Nikolaus Krell (1551-1601), a German theologian and reformer who served as the chancellor of the University of Wittenberg.
2. Johann Krell (1590-1663), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of logarithms.
3. Christoph Krell (1638-1701), a German painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works.
4. Ferdinand Krell (1822-1901), a German architect who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building.
5. Herman Krell (1923-2017), an American actor best known for his role as Colonel Klink in the television series "Hogan's Heroes."
Over time, the surname Krell has spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration from German-speaking regions. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has taken on a global presence and continues to be carried by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krell
Among Census respondents with the surname Krell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Krell 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 Krell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,920
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 107
- Two or more races2.0% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krell
Krell 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
#10,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,913
+528 bearers (+22.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 1,093 places
2020
#13,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,096
-817 bearers (-28.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 2,881 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,017 | 2,385 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,924 | 2,913 | 0.99 | +528 bearers (+22.1%) | Up 1,093 places |
| 2020 | #13,805 | 2,096 | 0.70 | -817 bearers (-28.0%) | Down 2,881 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 Krell 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 | #10,924 | #13,805 | -26.4% |
| Count | 2,913 | 2,096 | -28.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.70 | -29.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krell bearers went from 2,913 to 2,096 (-28.0% change). The surname moved down 2,881 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,924 to #13,805.
FAQ
Krell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,404 living Americans carry the surname Krell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,577 residents.
How common is Krell?
Krell ranks #13,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,096 people with the surname Krell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,404), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Krell.
Has Krell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krell went from 2,913 recorded bearers to 2,096. That is a decrease of 817 (-28.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,924 to #13,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Krell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Krell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,920 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (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 Krell (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 Krell mean?
A German surname derived from a nickname meaning "curly-haired" or "coiled," likely referring to a person's curly hair. 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 Krell (0.70 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 Krell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.