History of your Surname
Get access to Krebs family records.Start a free trial

Krebs Family History

Krebs Name Meaning

German and Swiss German: metonymic occupational name for a catcher or seller of crabs or crayfish or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a crab perhaps because they had a peculiar gait. The name was certainly standardized from older variants like Krevetes or Krebiss which reflect Middle Low German crevet ‘crab shrimp’ as well as Middle High German krebez. This surname is also found in e.g. Slovenia Czechia and Poland often as a translation into German of the Slavic surname Rak ‘crayfish’ and in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Crabbs Crapps Crepps Creps and Krebbs . Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Krebs ‘crab’ (see 1 above). Danish: from krebs ‘crab crayfish’; compare 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Kreis, Kress, Kreps, Kreft, Reis, Krass, Kreul, Kries, Kraus, Krey

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Krebs family from?

You can see how Krebs families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Krebs family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Krebs families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 20 Krebs families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 48% of all the recorded Krebs's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Krebs families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Krebs surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Krebs ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Krebs. 15% of Krebs men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Krebs women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Krebs were Machinist and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Krebs | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Machinist
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Bookkeeper
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Krebs family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 46,000 census records available for the last name Krebs. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Krebs census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Krebs

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Krebs. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Krebs immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Krebs. For the veterans among your Krebs ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Krebs military records

You've only scratched the surface of Krebs family history

Discover More

What is the average Krebs lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Krebs life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Krebs in 1940 was 46, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Krebs

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Krebs family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Krebs last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial