2000
#7,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,243
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Krieg
A German occupational surname meaning "war," likely referring to a warrior or soldier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,980 Americans carry the last name Krieg. That puts it at #7,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krieg 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
5.0K
1 in 68,826
Census rank
#7,403
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,343 bearers of the surname Krieg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krieg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krieg
The surname Krieg has its origins in Germany, with records indicating it became established in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "krieg," which means "war" or "battle," suggesting the name may have been adopted by someone involved in military conflicts or warfare during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Krieg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which mentions a "Johannes Krieg" in the year 1375. Additionally, the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Württemberg, references a "Hans Krieg" in 1412.
The name Krieg likely originated in the regions of southern Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where it was more prevalent in the early days. However, as families migrated and settled in other areas, the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring countries.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records, including the Stadtbücher (town books) of Nuremberg, which mention a "Hans Krieg" in 1525. Around the same time, a "Georg Krieg" is recorded in the Kirchenbücher (church books) of Saxony in 1542.
One notable figure bearing the surname Krieg was Johann Krieg (1591-1666), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher from Nuremberg. He served as a professor at the University of Altdorf and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the name Krieg can be found in the records of the Palatinate region of Germany. The Kirchenbücher of Essingen, for example, mention a "Johannes Krieg" in 1723 and a "Michael Krieg" in 1756.
Another significant figure with the surname Krieg was Friedrich Krieg (1766-1844), a German historian and geographer from Saxony. He authored several books on the history and geography of Saxony and served as the director of the Royal Public Library in Dresden.
As the name spread across Europe, it also appeared in various spellings and forms, such as Krieger, Kriegar, and Kriegher, though Krieg remained the most common variation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krieg
Among Census respondents with the surname Krieg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Krieg 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 Krieg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 4,032
- Two or more races3.4% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 43
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krieg
Krieg 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
#7,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,314
+71 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 446 places
2020
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,343
+29 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,249 | 4,243 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,695 | 4,314 | 1.46 | +71 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 446 places |
| 2020 | #7,403 | 4,343 | 1.45 | +29 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 292 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 Krieg 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 | #7,695 | #7,403 | 3.8% |
| Count | 4,314 | 4,343 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.45 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krieg bearers went from 4,314 to 4,343 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 292 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,695 to #7,403.
FAQ
Krieg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krieg?
Name Census estimates that about 4,980 living Americans carry the surname Krieg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,826 residents.
How common is Krieg?
Krieg ranks #7,403 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 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 4,343 people with the surname Krieg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 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 Krieg.
Has Krieg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krieg went from 4,314 recorded bearers to 4,343. That is an increase of 29 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,695 to #7,403.
What does the Census say about the background of Krieg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krieg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Krieg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (4,032 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krieg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Krieg (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 Krieg mean?
A German occupational surname meaning "war," likely referring to a warrior or soldier. 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 Krieg (1.45 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 Americans have the surname Krieg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.