Kriel last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kriel

A surname likely of Dutch origin and meaning "small" or "little".

Kriel, 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 Kriel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kriel in America

Kriel is the 64559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kriel surname appeared 308 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 Kriel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kriel 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 64559 62236 3.66%
Count 308 301 2.30%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.11 -9.52%

The history of the last name Kriel

The surname KRIEL has its origins in the Netherlands, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "kriel," which means "dwarf" or "small person." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone of short stature.

In the early days, the name was found primarily in the western regions of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland. Historical records from the 1500s and 1600s show various spellings such as Criel, Kriell, and Krielen.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Dutch municipal records of Leiden, which mention a Jan Willemszoon Kriel in 1587. Another notable early reference is found in the baptismal records of the Reformed Church in Delft, where a Pieter Kriel is listed in 1612.

The Kriels were a prominent family in the city of Dordrecht in the 17th century. Pieter Kriel (1598-1668) was a respected merchant and alderman in the city, and his son, Cornelis Kriel (1628-1697), was a renowned painter known for his still-life compositions.

In the 18th century, the name spread beyond the Netherlands as Kriels migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Johan Kriel (1723-1798), a Dutch settler who established a successful farm in the Cape Colony of South Africa.

Another prominent individual bearing the name was Theodorus Kriel (1761-1835), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Amsterdam from 1816 to 1835. He played a significant role in the city's reconstruction efforts following the French occupation.

As the name spread, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Kriell, Kriehl, and Kriel. In the 19th century, the name found its way to other parts of the world, including the United States and Australia, where it was adopted by settlers of Dutch descent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kriel

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

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 Kriel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.38% 303
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.38% 99.00% -0.63%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kriel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 2, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kriel-surname-popularity/.

"Kriel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kriel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 2 August, 2025

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

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