2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kroepel
A German surname referring to someone who was physically disabled or crippled.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kroepel. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kroepel 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kroepel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroepel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kroepel
The surname KROEPEL has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "krüppel," which means "cripple" or "disabled person." It was likely originally a descriptive nickname given to someone with a physical disability or deformity.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various German records and manuscripts, including church registers and tax rolls. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in a 1542 document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentioned a "Hans Kroepel."
The name KROEPEL was not limited to a specific region of Germany, but was found throughout various regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Hesse. Over time, the name also spread to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas through German immigration.
One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Kroepel, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1637 to 1709. He was known for his religious paintings and engravings, and his works can be found in various churches and museums across Germany.
Another person with the surname KROEPEL was Johann Gottfried Kroepel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1732 to 1808. He composed numerous works for the organ and is considered a significant figure in the development of German organ music.
In the 19th century, a prominent KROEPEL was Carl Wilhelm Kroepel, a German businessman and industrialist who lived from 1825 to 1901. He founded the Kroepel & Sohn ironworks in Gera, which became a major employer in the region.
The name KROEPEL also appeared in various place names throughout Germany, such as Kroepelshagen, a village in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Kroepelstieg, a street name found in several German cities.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Wilhelm Kroepel, a German soldier and writer who lived from 1876 to 1945. He served in World War I and later wrote several books about his experiences, including the memoir "Im Feuersturm von Verdun" (In the Fire Storm of Verdun).
While the name KROEPEL may have originated as a descriptive nickname, over time it became a respected surname in Germany and other parts of the world where German immigrants settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kroepel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroepel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Kroepel 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 Kroepel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kroepel
Kroepel 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+17 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,788 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-27 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,090 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 5,788 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 24,090 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 Kroepel 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 | #128,249 | #152,339 | -18.8% |
| Count | 133 | 106 | -20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kroepel bearers went from 133 to 106 (-20.3% change). The surname moved down 24,090 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kroepel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kroepel?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kroepel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kroepel?
Kroepel ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Kroepel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Kroepel.
Has Kroepel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kroepel went from 133 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 27 (-20.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kroepel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroepel, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Kroepel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kroepel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Kroepel (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 Kroepel mean?
A German surname referring to someone who was physically disabled or crippled. 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 Kroepel (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 share the surname Kroepel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.