Krauss
A German surname meaning “curly-haired” or “frizzy-haired.”
The #5,097 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,974 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Krauss is a German descriptive surname from Middle High German roots meaning “curly,” “crisp,” or “frizzy.” It is related to forms like Kraus and Krause, all built on the same nickname sense. In older German usage, it would originally have been given to someone with curly or tightly textured hair.
History
The name is common in German-speaking areas and spread widely through later German migration to North America and elsewhere. Historical surname collectors often grouped Krauss with other German nicknames based on physical appearance. Spellings such as Kraus and Krause reflect regional and orthographic variation rather than a different basic meaning.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname appears in several closely related spellings because German surnames often shifted in spelling while keeping the same nickname meaning.
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] KRIEGER (Ger.) Warrior, Soldier [f. (with”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)