NameCensus.

UK surname

Kruse

A surname of German origin, referring to someone with curly hair or a person from Kruszwica, Poland.

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Kruse surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 210, ranked #18,965, up from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, Havering and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kruse is 210 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.4%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

210

2016, ranked #18,965

Peak year

2016

210 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kruse had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016, ranked #18,965.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Kruse surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kruse surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kruse surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kruse over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19 #29,904
1861 historical 26 #30,677
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 183 #19,239
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 196 #18,535
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 188 #19,204
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 184 #20,363
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 203 #19,381
2016 modern 210 #18,965

Geography

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Where Kruses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Paddington and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, Havering, Central Bedfordshire and Maldon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
2 Havering 009 Havering
3 Central Bedfordshire 014 Central Bedfordshire
4 Maldon 007 Maldon
5 Forest Heath 008 Forest Heath

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kruse

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kruse surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kruse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kruse, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Kruse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Kruse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Kruse is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kruse is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kruse falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kruse is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kruse, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kruse

The surname Kruse has its origins in Germany and is believed to have derived from the Old German word 'krus' or 'kraus', meaning 'curly-haired'. It was initially an occupational name referring to someone with curly or kinky hair.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the early 12th century, where it appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval records from the region of Saxony. The spelling variations found in these records include 'Kruse', 'Crusius', and 'Cruwel'.

In the 13th century, the name Kruse can be found in the Urbarii Ducatus Geldriae, a record of landholdings in the Duchy of Guelders, located in present-day Netherlands and Germany. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial origins in Saxony.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kruse was Hermann Kruse, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1501 in Grevenbroich, Rhineland. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor at the University of Marburg.

During the 16th century, the name Kruse was also associated with the town of Kruse (now known as Kruszyn) in the Pomeranian region of modern-day Poland. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have derived their name from this place name.

Another notable figure with the surname Kruse was Christian Kruse, a Danish botanist and physician born in 1753. He made significant contributions to the study of flora in Denmark and was a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters.

In the 19th century, the German composer and organist Johann Kruse (1859-1927) gained recognition for his compositions and his work as a church organist in Göttingen.

The name Kruse has also been associated with several place names in Germany, such as Kruse-Berge (Kruse Mountains) in Lower Saxony and Kruse-Mühle (Kruse Mill) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kruse include Tobias Kruse (1718-1796), a German jurist and professor of law at the University of Leipzig, and Jürgen Kruse (1910-1973), a German actor and film director active in the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kruse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kruse surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 43 Kruses recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 5.07x
Essex 10 5.97x
Surrey 10 2.42x
Kent 7 2.42x
Lancashire 6 0.60x
Yorkshire 5 0.59x
Renfrewshire 2 3.04x
Berwickshire 1 9.73x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.74x
Midlothian 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hampstead London in Middlesex leads with 8 Kruses recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.51x.

Place Total Index
Hampstead London 8 60.51x
St George In East London 8 100.25x
Bromley London 6 32.14x
Camberwell 6 11.07x
Hackney London 6 12.61x
St Pancras London 6 8.78x
Crayford 5 396.83x
Wanstead 5 170.65x
West Ham 5 13.52x
Battersea 4 12.81x
Mile End Old Town London 4 22.15x
Widnes 4 55.10x
Islington London 3 3.65x
Sculcoates 3 22.51x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 12.50x
Greenock East 2 10000.00x
Coldingham 1 108.70x
Doddington 1 588.24x
Goudhurst 1 125.00x
Great Grimsby 1 11.61x
Holy Trinity 1 4.94x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 149.25x
Penicuik 1 64.94x
Row 1 33.90x
Shoreditch London 1 2.72x
St Clement Danes London 1 56.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kruse surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Maria 3
Elizabeth 2
Harriett 2
Louise 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
E.Mary 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Emilie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Jeanette 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lucy 1
Magdalina 1
Matild 1
Maud 1
Miriam 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kruse surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 8
John 5
Charles 4
William 4
Albert 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Alfd.A. 1
Andreas 1
Carl 1
Ernest 1
Geo.A.J. 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Herman 1
Oscar 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Willhelm 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Kruse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kruse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Kruse surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kruse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 210 in 2016. That gives Kruse a modern rank of #18,965.

What does the Kruse surname mean?

A surname of German origin, referring to someone with curly hair or a person from Kruszwica, Poland.

What does the Kruse map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kruse bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.