2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Kruithof
A Dutch surname derived from the occupational name for a gunpowder trader or merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 268 Americans carry the last name Kruithof. That puts it at #85,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,278,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kruithof 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
268
1 in 1,278,934
Census rank
#85,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
234
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 234 bearers of the surname Kruithof in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 85854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kruithof, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kruithof
The surname Kruithof is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Low Countries region during the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, describing an individual's place of residence or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland, a collection of historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. In this manuscript, the name appears as "Cruthof," referring to a person associated with a powder mill or a place where gunpowder was manufactured.
The name Kruithof is derived from the Dutch words "kruit," meaning gunpowder or black powder, and "hof," which translates to a courtyard, garden, or enclosed area. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in the production or storage of gunpowder, perhaps working in a powder mill or residing near such a facility.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Netherlands played a pivotal role in the development of gunpowder manufacturing techniques, and the Kruithof name might have been associated with this burgeoning industry. Records from this period indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the provinces of Holland and Zeeland.
One notable historical figure with the surname Kruithof was Pieter Kruithof (1601-1676), a Dutch merchant and shipping magnate who played a significant role in the Dutch East India Company's trade operations in the East Indies. Another prominent individual was Jan Kruithof (1722-1795), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.
In the 18th century, the name Kruithof also appeared in various records and documents in the German-speaking regions, suggesting that some members of the family might have migrated or settled in areas such as Prussia or the Rhineland.
Throughout the centuries, the surname has undergone slight variations in spelling, including Kruythooff, Kruijthoff, and Kruithoef, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Kruithof include Willem Kruithof (1847-1918), a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives, and Johanna Kruithof (1872-1944), a Dutch women's rights activist and advocate for female education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kruithof
Among Census respondents with the surname Kruithof, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kruithof 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 Kruithof surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 12
- Two or more races1.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kruithof
Kruithof 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
#76,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 252
+49 bearers (+24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 9,368 places
2020
#85,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 234
-18 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,275 | 252 | 0.09 | +49 bearers (+24.1%) | Up 9,368 places |
| 2020 | #85,854 | 234 | 0.08 | -18 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 9,579 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 Kruithof 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 | #76,275 | #85,854 | -12.6% |
| Count | 252 | 234 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kruithof bearers went from 252 to 234 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 9,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,275 to #85,854.
FAQ
Kruithof surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kruithof?
Name Census estimates that about 268 living Americans carry the surname Kruithof. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,278,934 residents.
How common is Kruithof?
Kruithof ranks #85,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 234 people with the surname Kruithof. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Kruithof.
Has Kruithof become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kruithof went from 252 recorded bearers to 234. That is a decrease of 18 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #76,275 to #85,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Kruithof?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kruithof, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kruithof in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kruithof appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kruithof (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 Kruithof mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the occupational name for a gunpowder trader or merchant. 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 Kruithof (0.08 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 Kruithof?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.