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

Krieger, 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 Krieger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Krieger in America

Krieger is the 3133rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Krieger surname appeared 11,521 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Krieger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Krieger 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 Krieger

The surname Krieger is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Krieger," which means "warrior" or "soldier." The name was likely first given as a descriptive surname to individuals who were soldiers or who displayed warrior-like qualities.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Krieger can be found in various German historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Heinrich Krieger in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1298.

During the Middle Ages, the Krieger surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where many families with this name can be found in local records and chronicles. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Kriegersdorf, a village in Saxony, which may have derived its name from individuals bearing the surname Krieger.

As the name suggests, there were several notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Krieger and were associated with military or warrior-like professions. One such individual was Johann Krieger (1651-1735), a German composer and organist who served as a military officer in his youth.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Krieger (1670-1750), a German jurist and diplomat who played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 19th century, Gustav Krieger (1824-1906) was a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building.

The surname Krieger was also found in other regions of Europe, particularly in areas with German-speaking populations. For instance, the Austrian composer Johann Philipp Krieger (1649-1725) was a contemporary of Johann Krieger and is known for his contributions to the development of the German baroque musical style.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Hermann Krieger (1819-1880), a German-born American military officer who fought for the Union during the American Civil War and rose to the rank of Major General.

While the surname Krieger has its roots in German history and language, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the medieval German tradition, where it was associated with individuals who displayed warrior-like qualities or were involved in military pursuits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Krieger

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

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

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

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