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

Kretz, 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 Kretz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kretz in America

Kretz is the 22989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kretz surname appeared 1,112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kretz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kretz 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 Kretz

The surname KRETZ is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kratz," which referred to a scratching or scraping motion, potentially indicating an occupation or activity associated with this action.

One of the earliest known references to the surname KRETZ can be found in the 14th century records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Kretz was mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name had already established itself in that region by that time.

During the late 15th century, the surname KRETZ appeared in various historical records across several German states, including Bavaria and Saxony. It's noteworthy that the name was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Kretz," "Kretzsch," or "Kretzsche," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname KRETZ was Johann Kretz, a German theologian and reformer born in 1519 in Saalfeld, Thuringia. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another prominent individual with the surname KRETZ was Johann Baptist Kretz, a German painter and engraver born in 1761 in Fulda, Hesse. He is particularly renowned for his religious artworks and his contributions to the Baroque style of painting.

Moving forward to the 17th century, the KRETZ surname can be found in various town and village records throughout Germany, suggesting its widespread distribution. One example is the mention of a Hans KRETZ in the 1634 records of the village of Neunkirchen, located in the present-day state of Saarland.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the KRETZ surname was Johann Friedrich KRETZ, a German composer and organist born in 1744 in Augsburg, Bavaria. He composed numerous works for the organ and was highly regarded in his time.

As the centuries progressed, the KRETZ surname continued to maintain a presence in various parts of Germany, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, from academia to the arts and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kretz

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

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

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

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