2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Krowl
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname meaning "tavern keeper" or "innkeeper".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Krowl. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krowl 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Krowl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krowl
The surname KROWL is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "krawel," which referred to a kind of wild cabbage or a similar leafy green vegetable. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone involved in the cultivation or sale of these types of plants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KROWL can be found in a land registry document from the town of Augsburg, dated 1437, which mentions a certain "Hans Krowel." This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time in parts of what is now southern Germany. In some historical records from the 16th century, the name is also spelled as "Crawel" or "Krouwel," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name KROWL appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with significant German-speaking populations. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname living in the Netherlands during the 1600s, likely due to migration or trade connections between the two regions.
One notable individual with the surname KROWL was Johann Krowl, a German botanist and naturalist who lived from 1590 to 1662. He was born in the town of Weimar and is known for his extensive studies and writings on the flora and fauna of central Germany. His work helped to further the understanding of plant and animal life in that region during the early modern period.
Another individual of historical significance was Maria Krowl, a Renaissance-era artist from Nuremberg, who lived between 1530 and 1598. She was renowned for her intricate woodcut prints and illustrations, which often depicted religious or allegorical scenes. Her works were widely circulated throughout Europe during her lifetime and helped to establish her reputation as a skilled printmaker.
In the 18th century, the name KROWL is found in various records from the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Krouwel" or "Crouwel." One notable figure from this period was Pieter Krouwel, a Dutch merchant and ship owner who lived from 1712 to 1788. He was based in Amsterdam and played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the height of the Dutch Golden Age.
As the centuries progressed, the KROWL surname continued to be found in various parts of Europe, particularly in areas with significant German-speaking populations or communities with historical ties to German-speaking regions. While not a particularly common surname, it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, reflecting its origins as a occupation-based name from the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krowl
Among Census respondents with the surname Krowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Krowl 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 Krowl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 12
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krowl
Krowl 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+12 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,954 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-15 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 2,954 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 11,541 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 Krowl 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 | #144,141 | #155,682 | -8.0% |
| Count | 115 | 100 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krowl bearers went from 115 to 100 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 11,541 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #155,682.
FAQ
Krowl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krowl?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Krowl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Krowl?
Krowl ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Krowl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Krowl.
Has Krowl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krowl went from 115 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Krowl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Krowl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krowl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Hispanic (12.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Krowl (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 Krowl mean?
A variant spelling of the German occupational surname meaning "tavern keeper" or "innkeeper". 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 Krowl (0.03 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 Krowl?
See how many Americans have the surname Krowl on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.