Surname Kraus - Meaning and Origin

Discovering Family, Heritage, and Self: My Emotional Journey with iGENEA DNA Test

In an emotional rollercoaster, diving into their Germanic roots via an iGENEA DNA test, the author unearths their heritage and develops a new perspective toward their surname, Kraus.

H. Kraus

Kraus: What does the surname Kraus mean?

The last name Kraus is an Germanic surname which is derived from the Middle High German word "Krause", originating from the German word "krāsen" which means "curly or curly-haired". It is believed to have been initially used to identify people who had curly hair which then became a hereditary surname. One of the earliest documented uses of the name Kraus was in Austria in 1369.

Kraus is known to be a widely distributed family name. It is present in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, United States, Canada, England, and many other countries.

In the United States, there were over 75,000 people with the family name Kraus in 2000. Today, it remains a very common family name both around the United States and various other countries.

The last name Kraus has been found to be associated with a number of bearers of honors and dignitaries. It is associated with the famous German and Austrian writer Karl Kraus (1874-1936), and German mathematician and philosopher Jakob Hermann (1712-1778). There are also numerous entrepreneurs, musicians, and scientists with the name Kraus.

Kraus: Where does the name Kraus come from?

The last name Kraus is most commonly found in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. It is also found in other Eastern European nations, such as Poland and Hungary. It is also common in France, as well as in the United States, Canada, and other countries with a strong German heritage. According to the US Census Bureau, the highest concentration of people with the last name Kraus is in the Midwest, followed by the West Coast and parts of the Northeast.

In Germany, Kraus is one of the top 100 most common surnames; over 61,000 people currently bear the name Kraus. Austria is also a very popular area for this surname, with over 16,000 current bearers. In the Czech Republic, the name is not nearly as common, but still has more than 3,600 people associated with it.

In France, the name is found in much smaller numbers than in either Germany or Austria. According to the 2019 French population census, only 367 people have the name Kraus. In the United States, the census reported nearly 16,000 people with the surname Kraus in 2000—a drastic rise from the 2,000 people with the name in 1990.

In Canada, around 1,400 people had the name Kraus in 2016. This was a significant increase from the 1871 census and demonstrates the effect of German migration coming to the country in the late 19th century and the effects of intermarriage. Overall, the name Kraus is most commonly found in German-speaking countries, but it is also found in a number of other countries around the world.

Variations of the surname Kraus

The surname Kraus originates from the German name Kräus or Krauss. It is derived from the Middle High German elements krouwe meaning "curly" and kraut meaning "herb". It is also derived from the Old High German "krôs" which means “brave”.

Variant spellings of the surname Kraus include Krauss, Krause, Crauss, Creuse, Krouse, Krauth, Krausz, Krass, Kräuse, Kraws and Krawse.

Variant surnames that derive from Kraus include Crousse, Croisse, Krauzz, Krauza, Krassa, Krassner, Krasser, Krausher, Kraushaar, Creusot, Crouse, Cross and Croes.

Kraus is a fairly common name and is present across Europe and North America. It is the most common in Germany, where it is consistently ranked in the top 200 surnames. Kraus is also present in other countries including Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The surname also appears in the United States, where is it associated with German and Jewish immigrants.

Famous people with the name Kraus

• Melvin Kraus: a former American football player who played professional football in the National Football League (NFL).
• Otto Kraus: a German Jewish scholar, writer, and publicist.
• Frieda Kraus: an Austrian resistance fighter who helped save hundreds of Jews and Allied airmen during World War II.
• Helmut A. Kraus: a German mathematician and computer scientist.
• Karl Kraus: an Austrian writer and editor who is one of the founding figures of modern satirical writing.
• Mike Kraus: American rapper, songwriter, and producer.
• Joshua Kraus: a prominent American cellist, conductor, scholar, and pedagogue.
• Eric Kraus: an American businessman and former assistant to US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
• Christie Kraus: an American professional mountain biker.
• Elisabeth Kraus: an Austrian conductor, violinist, composer, and piano instructor.
• Axel Kraus: a prominent German architect and urban designer.
• Ulf Kraus: a former German professional ice hockey player and World Cup champion.
• Avi Kraus: an Israeli historian, political scientist, and sociologist.
• Doug Kraus: a retired Canadian professional hockey player.
• Ryan Kraus: an American professional soccer player and former member of the Major League Soccer team the Los Angeles Galaxy.
• Greg Kraus: an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.
• Joe Kraus: an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the internet search engine Excite.
• Steve Kraus: a former American football linebacker who played college football at the University of Michigan.
• Maurice Kraus: a Argentine-born French classical pianist and pedagogue.
• Heinz Kraus: a German mathematician who made extensive contributions to number theory and probability theory.

Other surnames

KrauczunKraudschunKraudßunKraudszunKraudzunKrauhsKrauhseKrauledatKraulediesKrauleidiesKrauleidisKraulidatKrausaKrausbauerKrauseKrausemannKrausenKrauserKrausertKraushaarKrausharKraushauptKrauskopfKrausmannKrausovaKrauspeKrauspenhaarKraussKraußKrausse