Kroeger
A German surname usually meaning “crook” or “hunchback,” from a nickname based on a bent shape or posture.
The #7,552 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,138 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kroeger is a German surname most likely connected with Middle High German and dialect forms related to a bent, twisted, or crooked shape. In surname use, such words often began as nicknames for someone with a stooped back, a crooked build, or a distinctive posture. The spelling with oe reflects the German umlaut form in older transliteration practice.
History
The name is found in German-speaking areas and later spread through emigration to North America and elsewhere. English-language surname lists from the 19th century record Kroeger alongside other German names, reflecting its established use as a family name by that time. Modern bearers often preserve the German spelling even where the pronunciation has shifted locally.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling Kroeger often appears in English records because older typesetting and immigration documents commonly used oe for the German umlaut ö.
From the historical record
“Kratz, Kraus and Krause, Kreagel, Kregleuski, Kreiling, Kreis, Kreissman, Krem, Kretschmer, Krey, Kriesler, Kroeger, Krogman, Kroll, Kron- berg, Krueger, Kruger, Krug, Kumb, Kummel, KuMMER, Kuntz, Kdpfer, Kurtz, Kyes, Kylander, Kyle, Kyles. Labbottiere, Laborre, Labree, Lacost, Lacount,”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)