2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kroeckel
A surname possibly originating from a German nickname meaning "someone curly-haired" or "someone with curls."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Kroeckel. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kroeckel 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Kroeckel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroeckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kroeckel
The surname KROECKEL is believed to have originated in the German state of Prussia, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Low German word "krökel," meaning "crook" or "curved," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or occupation of the name's earliest bearers.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KROECKEL name can be found in the parish records of the town of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) from the late 1500s. These records document the births, marriages, and deaths of several families with this surname in the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the KROECKEL name spread across various parts of Prussia and neighboring territories as families migrated and settled in new areas. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann KROECKEL (1670-1741), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), and Friedrich KROECKEL (1801-1875), a influential Lutheran minister who served in the city of Berlin.
In the 19th century, the KROECKEL surname gained further prominence with the birth of Wilhelm KROECKEL (1825-1899), a renowned German architect who designed several iconic buildings in Berlin, including the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Kaiserhof Hotel. Another notable figure was Karl KROECKEL (1841-1912), a German industrialist and pioneer in the development of early automobiles.
As the KROECKEL family spread across Europe and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, including KRÖCKEL, KRÖKEL, and KROEKEL, reflecting regional linguistic differences and transcription practices. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its German heritage.
Throughout history, the KROECKEL surname has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including craftsmen, clergy, artists, and entrepreneurs. While not as widely distributed as some other German surnames, the KROECKEL name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of Germany and neighboring regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kroeckel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroeckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kroeckel 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 Kroeckel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kroeckel
Kroeckel 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,510 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 17,510 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,346 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 Kroeckel 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 | #143,149 | #146,495 | -2.3% |
| Count | 116 | 114 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kroeckel bearers went from 116 to 114 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #146,495.
FAQ
Kroeckel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kroeckel?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Kroeckel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Kroeckel?
Kroeckel ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Kroeckel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kroeckel.
Has Kroeckel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kroeckel went from 116 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Kroeckel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroeckel, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kroeckel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kroeckel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kroeckel (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 Kroeckel mean?
A surname possibly originating from a German nickname meaning "someone curly-haired" or "someone with curls." 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 Kroeckel (0.04 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 Kroeckel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.