2000
#8,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Kropp
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Kropp, derived from the Middle Low German word "krop" meaning "hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,778 Americans carry the last name Kropp. That puts it at #9,447 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kropp 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
3.8K
1 in 90,724
Census rank
#9,447
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,295 bearers of the surname Kropp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9447th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kropp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kropp
The surname KROPP is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Lower Saxony region of northern Germany, where it was likely derived from the Middle Low German word "kropp," meaning "body" or "torso."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KROPP name can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dated back to the year 1354. This reference suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person's physical stature or build.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KROPP surname spread across various parts of Germany, including areas such as Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Brandenburg. This expansion can be attributed to the migration patterns of the time, as well as the increasing popularity of hereditary surnames.
Notable individuals bearing the KROPP surname include Johann Heinrich Kropp (1678-1748), a German theologian and author from Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Karl Kropp (1799-1876), a Prussian architect and urban planner who contributed to the development of several cities in Germany.
In the 19th century, the KROPP name also found its way to the United States through German immigration. One early example is Johannes Kropp (1819-1890), a German immigrant who settled in Ohio and became a prominent farmer and community leader.
Another significant figure with the KROPP surname was Carl August Kropp (1867-1944), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his work in magazines and children's books. He was born in Germany but spent much of his career in the United States.
Additionally, the KROPP name has been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Kroppenstedt, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, and Kroppach, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
While the KROPP surname has its roots in Germany, it has since been embraced by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the global migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped the modern world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kropp
Among Census respondents with the surname Kropp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kropp 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 Kropp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 3,054
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 102
- Two or more races2.5% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kropp
Kropp 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
#9,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,500
+135 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 364 places
2020
#9,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,295
-205 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,934 | 3,365 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,298 | 3,500 | 1.19 | +135 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 364 places |
| 2020 | #9,447 | 3,295 | 1.10 | -205 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 149 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 Kropp 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 | #9,298 | #9,447 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,500 | 3,295 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.10 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kropp bearers went from 3,500 to 3,295 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,298 to #9,447.
FAQ
Kropp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kropp?
Name Census estimates that about 3,778 living Americans carry the surname Kropp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,724 residents.
How common is Kropp?
Kropp ranks #9,447 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,295 people with the surname Kropp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kropp.
Has Kropp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kropp went from 3,500 recorded bearers to 3,295. That is a decrease of 205 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,298 to #9,447.
What does the Census say about the background of Kropp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kropp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kropp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (3,054 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kropp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kropp (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 Kropp mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from a place called Kropp, derived from the Middle Low German word "krop" meaning "hill." 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 Kropp (1.10 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 Kropp?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.