2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Kroker
Of German origin, potentially meaning "innkeeper" or relating to a trader of goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kroker. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kroker 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kroker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kroker
The surname KROKER is of Germanic origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in central Europe. It is believed to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "krok," meaning "crooked" or "bent." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a physical characteristic or occupation related to this concept.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KROKER surname can be found in the Bávarian town of Amberg, where a certain Hans Kroker was mentioned in local records dating back to the 15th century. It is also worth noting that variations of the name, such as Kroker, Kroeker, and Kroekers, appear in various historical documents throughout the region.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KROKER name spread across Germany and into neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. This was likely due to the migration patterns of the time, as well as the influence of the Protestant Reformation, which led to a significant movement of people within Europe.
Notably, the KROKER surname is associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Johann Kroker, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 16th century and is known for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music.
Another prominent bearer of the KROKER name was Hans Kroker, a 17th-century German artist and engraver who specialized in creating intricate copperplate engravings and etchings. His works, often depicting biblical scenes and landscapes, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are still valued by collectors today.
In the 18th century, the KROKER surname gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Gottfried Kroker (1714-1789), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely studied and influenced subsequent generations of thinkers.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable KROKER was Carl Kroker (1838-1923), a German-American architect who emigrated to the United States and contributed to the design of numerous buildings in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee. His works were characterized by their blend of traditional European styles and innovative techniques.
Finally, in more recent times, the KROKER surname has been carried by individuals like Arthur Kroker (born 1945), a Canadian writer, academic, and cultural theorist known for his contributions to the fields of media studies and critical theory.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kroker
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kroker 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 Kroker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kroker
Kroker 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-37 bearers (-24.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 37,338 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -37 bearers (-24.8%) | Down 37,338 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Kroker 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kroker bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kroker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kroker?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kroker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kroker?
Kroker ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Kroker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Kroker.
Has Kroker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kroker went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kroker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kroker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kroker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kroker (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 Kroker mean?
Of German origin, potentially meaning "innkeeper" or relating to a trader of goods. 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 Kroker (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 Americans have the surname Kroker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.