2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kroske
A surname of Sorbian or Polish origins possibly derived from a nickname describing someone small in stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kroske. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kroske 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kroske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kroske
The surname Kroske is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period in the regions of modern-day Germany and neighboring areas. This surname is believed to be derived from the German word "Krug," which refers to a jug or pitcher, potentially indicating an association with pottery-making or an occupation involving these vessels.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kroske can be found in the Nuremberg census of 1497, where a certain Hans Kroske was listed as a resident of the city. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of this surname in the region during the late 15th century.
The name Kroske also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as church registers and town chronicles. In the Brandenburg region, for example, a family by the name of Kroske was documented in the town of Potsdam in the mid-1600s.
A notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Kroske, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1670 to 1738. He authored several influential works on theology and ethics during his lifetime, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his era.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Kroske, a German military officer who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1785 and played a significant role in several battles, earning recognition for his bravery and strategic capabilities.
In the realm of literature, the name Kroske is associated with the 19th-century German author and poet, Wilhelm Kroske. Born in 1823, he gained recognition for his poetic works and contributions to the Romantic literary movement in Germany.
The surname Kroske can also be traced back to various place names and locations within Germany, such as the village of Krosken in the Saxony region. This connection suggests that the name may have originated from a geographical association or a reference to a specific location.
Throughout history, the surname Kroske has been subject to various spellings and regional variations, including Kroske, Kroskee, and Kroschke. These variations reflect the linguistic diversity and regional influences that shaped the evolution of surnames across different regions of Germany and neighboring areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kroske
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kroske 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 Kroske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kroske
Kroske 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-13 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,574 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 19,574 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,557 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 Kroske 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 | #142,108 | #148,665 | -4.6% |
| Count | 117 | 111 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kroske bearers went from 117 to 111 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,557 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kroske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kroske?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kroske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kroske?
Kroske ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kroske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kroske.
Has Kroske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kroske went from 117 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kroske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kroske, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Kroske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kroske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Kroske (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 Kroske mean?
A surname of Sorbian or Polish origins possibly derived from a nickname describing someone small in stature. 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 Kroske (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 are called Kroske?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kroske, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.