Kroeker last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kroeker

A habitational name originally referring to someone who lived near a crooked path or road.

Kroeker, 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 Kroeker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kroeker in America

Kroeker is the 20263rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kroeker surname appeared 1,313 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 Kroeker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kroeker 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 20263 20456 -0.95%
Count 1,313 1,206 8.50%
Proportion per 100k 0.45 0.45 0.00%

The history of the last name Kroeker

The surname Kroeker has its origins in the German language and is believed to have originated in the region of Prussia, which is now part of modern-day Germany and Poland. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "kröker," which means "crooked" or "bent."

This surname likely originated in the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century. It was likely used to describe someone who lived near a crooked or winding road or path, or perhaps someone with a physical characteristic or occupation that involved bending or crookedness.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kroeker can be found in the Prussian census records from the 16th century, where it is spelled as "Kröker." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved over time from its original form.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Hans Kroeker (1635-1712) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Danzig, which was part of the Prussian region at the time. His success and influence likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the Kroeker name in the area.

Another historical figure associated with the Kroeker surname is Johann Kroeker (1780-1856), a German poet and writer who was born in the town of Königsberg, Prussia. His works, which often explored themes of nature and rural life, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Kroeker family began to migrate to other parts of Europe and even to North America. One such individual was Wilhelm Kroeker (1832-1905), who emigrated from Prussia to Canada in the 1870s and became a successful farmer in the province of Manitoba.

Another notable individual was Gerhard Kroeker (1905-1985), a German-American architect who made significant contributions to the modernist movement in architecture. He was born in Germany but later emigrated to the United States, where he designed several iconic buildings, including the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.

Throughout history, the surname Kroeker has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kroeker

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

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 Kroeker was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.36% 1,239
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.38% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.61% 8
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.84% 11
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.68% 22
Hispanic Origin 2.13% 28

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.36% 95.77% -1.48%
Black 0.38% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.61% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.84% 0.58% 36.62%
Two or More Races 1.68% 1.74% -3.51%
Hispanic 2.13% 1.24% 52.82%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Kroeker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kroeker-surname-popularity/.

"Kroeker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kroeker-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

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

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