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

Kress, 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 Kress surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kress in America

Kress is the 4711th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kress surname appeared 7,528 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kress.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kress 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 Kress

The surname Kress is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "kresse," meaning "cress" or "watercress." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who grew or sold watercress, or perhaps lived near a place where watercress grew abundantly.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kress can be found in various German and Swiss records dating back to the 14th century. One notable early bearer was Heinrich Kress, a merchant from Nuremberg, mentioned in documents from the mid-1300s.

In the 16th century, the name Kress appeared in the town of Lenzkirch in the Black Forest region of Germany. Records from this period mention a family by the name of Kress who were involved in the local textile industry.

The Kress surname also has a long history in Switzerland, particularly in the cantons of Bern and Solothurn. One of the earliest Swiss bearers was Hans Kress, a farmer from the village of Messen, whose name appears in records from the late 15th century.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Kresse, Kresser, and Kresss. In some regions, the name took on localized forms, such as Cress in England and Cressa in Italy.

Notable individuals with the surname Kress throughout history include:

1. Gustav Kress (1843-1920), a German-American entrepreneur who founded the Kress chain of retail stores.
2. Samuel H. Kress (1863-1955), an American businessman and philanthropist who amassed a significant art collection, now housed in the National Gallery of Art.
3. Walter Kress (1892-1966), an Austrian-American architect known for his Art Deco designs in New York City.
4. Bertha Kress (1892-1975), an American painter and printmaker associated with the Ashcan School of American art.
5. Franz Kress (1932-2020), a Swiss writer and journalist known for his novels and travel literature.

While the surname Kress has its roots in Germany and Switzerland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by emigrants and families seeking new opportunities. Today, the name continues to hold a rich history and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kress

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

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

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

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