Kretzer last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kretzer

Of Germanic origin, meaning 'innkeeper' or 'tavern keeper'.

Kretzer, 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 Kretzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kretzer in America

Kretzer is the 23268th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kretzer surname appeared 1,095 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 Kretzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kretzer 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23268 22481 3.44%
Count 1,095 1,068 2.50%
Proportion per 100k 0.37 0.40 -7.79%

The history of the last name Kretzer

The surname Kretzer is of German origin, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Austria, where it was likely derived from the German word "Kretzer," which referred to a small coin or a coin minter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this manuscript, a person named "Heinricus Cretzere" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time.

The name Kretzer has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as the town of Kretzingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Kretzer throughout history, one can mention Johann Kretzer (1480-1549), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Johann Kretzer (1735-1810), a German composer and organist who made important contributions to sacred music.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a family of coin minters and mint workers bore the surname Kretzer. This further reinforces the connection between the name and the occupation of coin minting or money handling.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kretzer include Friedrich Kretzer (1818-1892), a German architect known for his work on various churches and public buildings, and Max Kretzer (1854-1941), a German painter and illustrator who specialized in landscapes and genre scenes.

It is worth noting that while the surname Kretzer has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the primary concentration of individuals bearing this surname remains in German-speaking regions and areas with significant German ancestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kretzer

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

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 Kretzer was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.80% 1,049
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.19% 13
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.00% 11
Hispanic Origin 1.10% 12

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 Kretzer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.80% 96.25% -0.47%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.19% 0.84% 34.48%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.84% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.00% 1.12% -11.32%
Hispanic 1.10% 0.94% 15.69%

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

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

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"Kretzer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kretzer-surname-popularity/.

"Kretzer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kretzer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Kretzer last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kretzer-surname-popularity/.

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