Is Krauss a German name?

Yes, Krauss is a German name and is one of the most common German surnames, of Germanic ethnicity and origin. Krauss comes from Middle High German krus meaning curly, frizzy, or wavy, and was originally a nickname surname given in medieval Germany to someone who had curly hair, to distinguish them from others with the same first name. The spelling Krauss with double s is particularly common in southern Germany, Bavaria, Austria, and Switzerland, while Kraus with single s is common throughout Germany, and Krause with an e is also common. All variations mean curly. Krauss is ranked among the top 50 most common surnames in Germany and is also common among Ashkenazi Jewish families who adopted German surnames. The name spread from Germany to other countries through emigration in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly to the United States where many German immigrants settled in the Midwest. Famous people with the name Krauss include German actor Werner Krauss, American physicist Lawrence Krauss, and German footballer Rolf Krauss. So yes, Krauss is definitively a German name, meaning curly-haired, originating in medieval Germany as a descriptive nickname that became hereditary, and it indicates German ancestry.