Krull
A nickname surname most likely referring to curly hair or a curly-haired person.
The #8,055 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,102 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Krull is generally explained as a descriptive nickname based on a word for something curled, twisted, or curly. The surname is closely related to German Kroll and Dutch Krul, both of which were understood by older name scholars as referring to curly hair or a curly-haired appearance. In that sense, the name would originally have described a person with a distinctive curl or hair texture.
History
The surname appears in German and Dutch naming traditions, and older reference works treat Krull as part of a wider family of nickname surnames formed from physical features. It is especially associated with northern German and Dutch usage, where short descriptive surnames of this kind were common. Modern bearers in the United States likely descend from German-speaking immigrants or their descendants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries often grouped Krull with names like Kroll and Krul under the idea of “curly-haired” nicknames.
From the historical record
“Rudel — Rottet — Rüitel — Räudel. Zsgz. Formen: Kroü — Krull — Rolle (Rollviann) — Röhte — Rolle — Ruhle — Rüfde (Ruhte- mann) — Ruttmann. Gen. Rotteis — Roels (fries., = Rols). Patr. A.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen