2000
#28,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 789
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Krech
A Wendish surname originating in Eastern Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 988 Americans carry the last name Krech. That puts it at #29,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 346,917 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krech 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
988
1 in 346,917
Census rank
#29,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
862
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 862 bearers of the surname Krech in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krech, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krech
The surname Krech is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have emerged in the region of Bavaria, where it was originally spelled as "Krech" or "Krech". The name is derived from the Middle High German word "krëch", meaning "Croat" or "Croatian", suggesting a possible connection to individuals who migrated or had ancestors from the Balkan region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Krech can be found in the Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a Hans Krech was mentioned in a document from 1456. Another notable early record is the appearance of a Michael Krech in the parish records of Oberndorf, Bavaria, in 1515.
The surname Krech has a long and varied history, with several notable individuals bearing this name over the centuries. In the 16th century, a scholar named Johann Krech (1535-1599) gained recognition for his work on the Greek language and his contributions to the field of linguistics. During the 17th century, a composer named Johann Philipp Krieger (1649-1725), who was born Johann Philipp Krech, made significant contributions to the development of the German Baroque style.
In the 19th century, a German painter named Max Krech (1837-1888) gained recognition for his landscapes and genre scenes, which often depicted rural life in Bavaria. Another notable figure from this period was the German historian and archivist Friedrich Krech (1827-1894), who made important contributions to the preservation and study of historical documents.
Moving into the 20th century, a German-American businessman named Hans Krech (1900-1978) gained prominence as the founder of the Krech Realty Corporation, a successful real estate company based in San Francisco. Additionally, a German philosopher named Helmut Krech (1924-2006) garnered recognition for his work on the philosophy of language and his contributions to the field of hermeneutics.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the surname Krech throughout history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krech
Among Census respondents with the surname Krech, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Krech 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 Krech surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 823
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 22
- Two or more races1.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krech
Krech 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
#31,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 721
-68 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 3,534 places
2020
#29,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 862
+141 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 2,746 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,460 | 789 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,994 | 721 | 0.24 | -68 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 3,534 places |
| 2020 | #29,248 | 862 | 0.29 | +141 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 2,746 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 Krech 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 | #31,994 | #29,248 | 8.6% |
| Count | 721 | 862 | 19.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.29 | 20.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krech bearers went from 721 to 862 (+19.6% change). The surname moved up 2,746 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,994 to #29,248.
FAQ
Krech surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krech?
Name Census estimates that about 988 living Americans carry the surname Krech. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 346,917 residents.
How common is Krech?
Krech ranks #29,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 862 people with the surname Krech. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (988), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Krech.
Has Krech become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krech went from 721 recorded bearers to 862. That is an increase of 141 (+19.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #31,994 to #29,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Krech?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krech, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Krech in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (823 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krech appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Krech (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 Krech mean?
A Wendish surname originating in Eastern Germany. 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 Krech (0.29 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 common is the surname Krech?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Krech on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.