Kraus
A German nickname surname meaning “curly” or “curly-headed.”
The #1,890 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,226 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kraus comes from German kraus, meaning “curly,” “crisp,” or “frizzy.” It was originally a nickname for someone with curly hair or a curled, crinkled appearance. Related forms include Krause and Krauss, all built on the same descriptive root.
History
The surname is well attested in German-speaking areas and appears in multiple spellings, especially Kraus, Krause, Krauss, and Krausse. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century name scholars treated it as a common descriptive byname rather than an occupational or place-name. It spread widely through German migration to the United States and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books often gloss Kraus simply as “curly-headed,” showing how directly many German nicknames were formed from everyday adjectives.
From the historical record
“KRAUS KRAUSE KRAUSS KRAUSSE (Ger.) Curly-Headed [Ger.kraus, crisp, curly ; M.H.Ger. krits = ai.Dut. inns (mod. Dut. kroes]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)