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

Kresge, 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 Kresge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kresge in America

Kresge is the 15056th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kresge surname appeared 1,961 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 Kresge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kresge 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 Kresge

The surname Kresge is of German origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is a locational name derived from the German word "Kresse," which means "cress" or "watercress," and likely referred to someone who lived near a watercress meadow or a place where watercress grew abundantly.

The earliest known record of the name Kresge can be traced back to the late 16th century in the German region of Baden-Württemberg. In 1586, a record mentions a Johann Kresge, a farmer from the village of Denkendorf.

As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Kreßge, Kressge, and Kresge. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes who recorded the names.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Kresge was Johann Adam Kresge (1720-1788), a German immigrant to Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century. He settled in Berks County and became a prominent landowner and farmer in the region.

In the 19th century, Sebastian S. Kresge (1867-1966) was born in Bald Mount, Pennsylvania. He later founded the Kresge Corporation, which became a major American retail chain known as Kmart. Sebastian Kresge is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs with this surname.

Another notable figure was John Kresge (1853-1925), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1907 to 1914.

The name Kresge can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as France and England, where it was likely adopted by German immigrants or families with German ancestry. For example, John Kresge (1891-1966) was a British actor and playwright, while Alfred Kresge (1893-1961) was a French-born American painter and sculptor.

Throughout its history, the surname Kresge has been associated with various professions, including farming, business, politics, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kresge

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

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 Kresge 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 Kresge 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 Kresge was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!