2000
#12,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Kreutzer
A German occupational surname referring to a crossbowman or a maker of crossbows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,473 Americans carry the last name Kreutzer. That puts it at #13,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,599 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kreutzer 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
2.5K
1 in 138,599
Census rank
#13,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,157 bearers of the surname Kreutzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreutzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kreutzer
The surname Kreutzer originated in Germany, specifically in the southern regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It first appeared around the 12th century and is derived from the German word "Kreuter," which means "herb grower" or "herbalist." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the cultivation and trade of herbs and spices.
The name Kreutzer can be traced back to various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where the name is mentioned in the year 1292. Another notable reference is found in the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a compilation of charters and records from the former state of Württemberg, which includes the name Kreutzer in an entry dated 1384.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kreutzer was Konrad Kreutzer, a prominent merchant and herbalist who lived in Augsburg, Bavaria, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Kreutzer (1455-1523), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
The name Kreutzer has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Kreutzerhof in Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from the Kreutzer family who once resided there. Similarly, the town of Kreutzersried in Baden-Württemberg may have taken its name from the local Kreutzer inhabitants.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Kreutzer throughout history. One such figure was Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766-1831), a French violinist, teacher, and composer who is best known for his violin études and concertos. Another was Conradin Kreutzer (1780-1849), a German composer and conductor who worked in various courts and theaters across Europe.
Other notable Kreutzers include Léon Kreutzer (1884-1964), a French painter and illustrator known for his depictions of Parisian life, and Johann Nepomuk Kreutzer (1853-1939), an Austrian architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Vienna.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kreutzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreutzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kreutzer 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 Kreutzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 2,014
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 61
- Two or more races2.5% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kreutzer
Kreutzer 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
#13,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,223
+15 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 826 places
2020
#13,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,157
-66 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,799 | 2,208 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,625 | 2,223 | 0.75 | +15 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 826 places |
| 2020 | #13,486 | 2,157 | 0.72 | -66 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 139 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 Kreutzer 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 | #13,625 | #13,486 | 1.0% |
| Count | 2,223 | 2,157 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.72 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kreutzer bearers went from 2,223 to 2,157 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,625 to #13,486.
FAQ
Kreutzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kreutzer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,473 living Americans carry the surname Kreutzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,599 residents.
How common is Kreutzer?
Kreutzer ranks #13,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,157 people with the surname Kreutzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kreutzer.
Has Kreutzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kreutzer went from 2,223 recorded bearers to 2,157. That is a decrease of 66 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,625 to #13,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Kreutzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kreutzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kreutzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,014 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kreutzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kreutzer (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 Kreutzer mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a crossbowman or a maker of crossbows. 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 Kreutzer (0.72 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 people have the surname Kreutzer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.