2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Krening
A surname of German origin, possibly referring to a crown or wreath maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Krening. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krening 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Krening in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krening, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krening
The surname Krening has its origins in Germany, first appearing in records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "krene," which means "crane," and was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with or dealt in cranes, such as a hunter or farmer.
In the early 16th century, variations of the name, including "Krenning" and "Krenigen," were found in various German regions, particularly in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the town of Augsburg, where a Johannes Krening was mentioned in a registry of citizens in 1521.
No significant historical figures or events are directly associated with the surname Krening, but it appears in several old manuscripts and records from various German towns and villages. In 1612, a Hans Krening was listed as a landowner in the village of Altdorf, near Nuremberg.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Krening, born in 1583 in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria. He was a master baker and is recorded as having owned a successful bakery in the town's central square.
Another notable individual was Katharina Krening, born in 1629 in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. She was a respected midwife and herbalist, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies.
In the 18th century, a Johann Friedrich Krening, born in 1723 in the town of Heidelberg, gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the region.
A more recent figure was Wilhelm Krening, born in 1865 in the city of Stuttgart. He was a prominent architect and urban planner, responsible for designing several notable buildings and public spaces in Stuttgart during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Finally, there was Else Krening, born in 1892 in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau. She was a celebrated artist known for her vivid landscape paintings and portraits, and her works were exhibited in galleries across Germany and Europe during the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krening
Among Census respondents with the surname Krening, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Krening 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 Krening surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krening
Krening 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-10 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 14,400 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-19 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 14,400 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 18,263 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 Krening 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 | #126,765 | #145,028 | -14.4% |
| Count | 135 | 116 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krening bearers went from 135 to 116 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 18,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #145,028.
FAQ
Krening surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krening?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Krening. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Krening?
Krening ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Krening. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Krening.
Has Krening become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krening went from 135 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Krening?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krening, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Krening in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krening appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (8.6%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Krening (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 Krening mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly referring to a crown or wreath 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 Krening (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 Americans have the surname Krening?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.