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

Kristoff, 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 Kristoff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kristoff in America

Kristoff is the 23222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kristoff surname appeared 1,098 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 Kristoff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kristoff 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 Kristoff

The surname Kristoff originated in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Sweden, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse names "Kristofer" or "Kristoffer," which were variants of the name Christopher, meaning "bearer of Christ."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kristoff can be traced back to the 13th century in various Norwegian and Swedish records. One notable historical reference is the mention of a man named Kristoffer Nilsson in the records of the city of Stockholm, Sweden, dating back to the late 13th century.

In Norway, the name Kristoff was prevalent among the noble classes and can be found in several historical documents and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries. One famous bearer of the name was Kristoffer Trondsson (c. 1450-1508), a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the struggle for Norwegian independence during the Kalmar Union.

The name Kristoff also appeared in various place names across Scandinavia, such as Kristofferstad in Sweden and Kristoffersund in Norway. These place names often originated from the names of landowners or prominent figures with the surname Kristoff.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kristoff, including:

1. Erik Kristoffer Eriksson (1801-1867), a Swedish author and playwright known for his historical novels and dramas.
2. Kristoffer Leandoer (1844-1899), a Swedish artist and painter renowned for his landscape paintings and portraits.
3. Kristoffer Uppdal (1878-1961), a Norwegian writer and poet who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928.
4. Kristoffer Olsson (1892-1975), a Swedish artist and sculptor known for his modernist works and public monuments.
5. Kristoffer Aamodt (1911-1988), a Norwegian cross-country skier and Olympic gold medalist in the 1930s.

While the surname Kristoff has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchanges. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the medieval Nordic regions and the cultural heritage of Norway and Sweden.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kristoff

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

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

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

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