Kraus is a German-language surname, meaning 'curly'. In addition to German-speaking countries, the surname is commonly found in the United States, Israel, and the Czech Republic (Czech feminine: Krausová). Notable people with the surname include:

Arts

Adalbert Kraus Adalbert Kraus (born 27 April 1937) is a German tenor in opera and concert, known for singing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Career Kraus was born in Aschaffenburg. He first graduated in German studies, theology, and philosophy and in 196 ...

(born 1937), German tenor *

Adolph Robert Kraus Adolph Robert Kraus (August 5, 1850 - November 6, 1901), known professionally as Robert Kraus, was an American sculptor, born in Zeulenroda-Triebes, Zeulenroda, Germany, and active in Boston. Biography Adolph Robert Kraus was born in Zeulenr ...

(1850–1901), American sculptor *

Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...

(1927–1999), Spanish opera singer *

Charles Kraus (clown) Charles Kraus, also known as "Charles the Clown", is an American clown, Illusionist, magician, writer, and comedian. Biography Early life Kraus was born in New York City. He attended acting classes in various Manhattan drama schools including ...

(born 1946), American clown, magician, writer and comedian *

Chris Kraus (director) Christopher J. Kraus (born 1963) is a German film director, screenwriter and author. Life and work Kraus was born in 1963 in Göttingen. He worked as a screenwriter before he staged his love duel Shattered Glass (Scherbentanz) into a feature f ...

(born 1963), German film director and screen writer *

Chris Kraus (writer) Chris Kraus (born 1955) is an American-born writer, critic, editor, filmmaker, performance artist, and educator. Her work includes the novels ''I Love Dick'', ''Aliens and Anorexia'', and ''Torpor'', which form a loose trilogy that navigates betwe ...

(born 1955), American writer and filmmaker * Dagmara Kraus (born 1981), German poet and translator *

Daniel Kraus (author) Daniel Kraus (born June 7, 1975) is a ''New York Times'' bestselling American author known for his collaborations with George A. Romero and Guillermo del Toro. Early life Kraus was born June 7, 1975, in Midland, Michigan, and grew up in Fairfi ...

(born 1975), American author *

Detlef Kraus Detlef Kraus (30 November 1919 – 7 January 2008) was a German pianist. He was an internationally known interpreter of the music of Johannes Brahms. Born in Hamburg, Kraus gave his first concert at the age of 16, playing '' The Well-Tempered ...

(1919–2008), German pianist *

Ernst Kraus Ernst Kraus (June 8, 1863 – September 5, 1941) was a German dramatic tenor best known for his performances in the operas of Richard Wagner. He decided to embark on an operatic career when he heard leading singers performing in Nuremberg ...

(1863–1941), German tenor *

Felix von Kraus Felix von Kraus (October 3, 1870 - October 30, 1937) was an Austrian dramatic bass. Born in Vienna, he received a doctorate in musicology from the University of Vienna in 1894; as a singer, however, he was mainly self-taught. He made his debut ...

(1870–1937), Austrian singer * František R. Kraus (1903–1967), Czech writer *

Franz Kraus Franz Kraus (; also known as Franz Krausz; 13 May 1905, Sankt Pölten, Austria – 1998, Tel Aviv, Israel) was an Israeli graphic designer. Biography 1910–23, Kraus grew up in Graz, Austria, and claimed that his favorite place was the art studi ...

(1905–1998), Israeli graphic designer *

Georg Melchior Kraus Georg Melchior Kraus (26 July 1737 in Frankfurt am Main – 5 November 1806 in Weimar) was a German painter. He was a co-founder of the Weimar Princely Free Drawing School, together with Friedrich Justin Bertuch, in 1776. Life He was the sixth ...

(1737–1806), German painter *

Gertrud Kraus Gertrud Kraus (; 5 May 1901 – 13 November 1977) was an Israeli pioneer of modern dance in Israel. Biography Gertrud Kraus was born in 1901 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. Her father, Leopold Kraus, and her mother, Olga (née Neubauer), married ...

(1901–1977), Israeli modern dancer *

Hansi Kraus Jan Christoph Krause, known by his stage name Hansi Kraus or Hans Kraus (born 26 June 1952), is a German actor. Career Hans Krause was born in Gliwice, Silesia, Poland. He was only 12 years old when he was discovered by German film producer F ...

(born 1952), German actor *

Jan Kraus (actor) Jan Vladimír Kraus (born 15 August 1953) is a Czech actor and TV host. He appeared in more than eighty films since 1967. Kraus was also a judge on Česko Slovensko má talent (Czecho Slovakia's Got Talent). He is the host of the television talk s ...

(born 1953), Czech actor and TV host * Jessica Reed Kraus, American writer *

Joseph Martin Kraus Joseph Martin Kraus (20 June 1756 – 15 December 1792), was a German-Swedish composer in the Classical era who was born in Miltenberg am Main, Holy Roman Empire. He moved to Sweden at age 21, and died at the age of 36 in Stockholm. He has been ...

(1756–1792), German-Swedish classical composer *

Józef Antoni Kraus Joseph Anton Kraus (died 21 January 1721, Danzig/Gdańsk) was a German sculptor of the eighteenth century, working primarily in the Kingdom of Prussia and Kingdom of Poland. His date of birth and death are unknown. Kraus married Elisabeth née Fr ...

(died 1721), German sculptor *

Karl Kraus (writer) Karl Kraus (; 28 April 1874 – 12 June 1936) was an Austrian writer and journalist, known as a satirist, essayist, aphorist, playwright and poet. He directed his satire at the press, German culture, and German and Austrian politics. He was nomi ...

(1874–1936), Austrian writer *

Lili Kraus Lili Kraus (4 March 19056 November 1986) was a Hungarian-born pianist. Biography Lili Kraus was born March 4 in Budapest in 1905. Her father was from Czech Lands, and her mother from an assimilated Jewish Hungarian family. She enrolled at th ...

(1903–1986), Hungarian pianist *

Marianne Kraus Maria Anna Walburga Lämmerhirt (nickname, "Marianne"; 8 May 1765 - 24 May 1838) was a German painter, drafter, travel writer, and lady-in-waiting. Through her diary, ''Für mich gemerkt auf meiner Reise nach Italien 1791'', she contributed to t ...

(1765–1838), German painter, drafter and writer *

Michael Kraus (baritone) Michael Kraus (born 17 January 1957''Michael Krau ...

(born 1957), Austrian operatic baritone *

Nicola Kraus Nicola Kraus (born August 17, 1974) is an American novelist. Personal life Kraus was born in New York City, and graduated from the Chapin School and then New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study The Gallatin School of ...

(born 1974), American novelist *

Oliver Kraus Oliver Kraus (born 1970 in Shepherd's Bush, London) is an English musician best known for his work as a cellist and string arranger/ producer and composer for film and television. String arrangements and performance Kraus has performed with nume ...

(born 1970), English musician *

Otakar Kraus Otakar Kraus OBE (10 December 1909 — 28 July 1980) was a Czech (later British), operatic baritone and teacher. He was born in Prague and studied there with Konrad Wallerstein and in Milan with Fernando Carpi. He himself was the teacher of a nu ...

(1909–1980), Czech-British baritone *Pat Kraus aka

Kraus Kraus is a German-language surname, meaning 'curly'. In addition to German-speaking countries, the surname is commonly found in the United States, Israel, and the Czech Republic (Czech feminine: Krausová). Notable people with the surname include ...

, New Zealand musician *

Patricia Kraus Patricia Kraus (; born 4 January 1964) is a Spanish singer, best known for her participation in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest. Early life Kraus was born in Milan, Italy. Kraus' father was Alfredo Kraus, a Spanish tenor. As a youngster, Kraus ...

(born 1964), Spanish singer *

Peter Kraus Peter Kraus (born 18 March 1939) is an Austrian-German singer and actor. Born Peter Siegfried Krausenecker in Munich, Germany, Kraus was popular especially in the 1950s, notably in those musical comedy films where he played opposite Cornelia ...

(born 1939), German singer *

Philip Kraus Philip Kraus (born November 17, 1950) is an American operatic baritone and stage director known for his performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, starting in 1991, and for his co-founding of Light Opera Works, a professional light opera compa ...

(born 1950), American operatic baritone and stage director * Robert Kraus (1925–2001), American children's author, cartoonist and publisher *

Sharron Kraus Sharron Kraus is an English singer, songwriter and musician with strong ties to the US. Kraus was born in New York but grew up in Leicester, England. She has lived in Philadelphia and collaborated with American musicians, including Meg Baird, Hel ...

, English singer, songwriter and musician *

Shmulik Kraus Shmuel 'Shmulik' Kraus (; 1 July 1935 – 17 February 2013) was an Israeli pop-rock singer, composer, and actor. Kraus, one of the pioneers of Israeli music, underwent various personal crises in the course of his career. He appeared in several film ...

(born in 1935–2013), Israeli actor, singer and composer *

Sonya Kraus Sonya Kraus (born 22 June 1973) is a German television presenter and former model. Biography At age four, Kraus started ballet school which eventually led her to music school in Frankfurt. She ended her ballet career in 1987 when she grew too ...

(born 1973), German television presenter *

Živa Kraus Živa Kraus (born 4 October 1945 in Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia) is a Croatian painter. Early life Kraus was born in Zagreb to a Jewish family, father Ivo Kraus and mother Herma (née Delpin). Her twin brother is Ognjen Kraus, president of th ...

(born 1945), Croatian painter *Will Kraus aka

(born 1994/95), American musician * Yael Kraus, Israeli singer-songwriter

Sports

* Adam Kraus (born 1984), American footballer *

Alanna Kraus Alanna Kraus (born June 30, 1977 in Abbotsford, British Columbia) is a Canadian short track speed skater. Career achievements She won the bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in short-track speed skating for the wom ...

(born 1977), Canadian speed skater *

Albert Kraus Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus (born August 3, 1980) is a Dutch kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX Tournament Champion in 2002 and also the first SUPERKOMBAT Middleweight Champion. Kraus has also held four separate world titles in kickb ...

(born 1980), Dutch welterweight kickboxer *

Brigitte Kraus Brigitte Kraus (born 12 August 1956 in Bensberg) is a retired West German middle-distance runner who specialized in the 1500 and 3000 metres. She competed for the sports clubs LG Rhein-Berg and ASV Köln Athletik-Sport-Verein Köln e.V. is a mult ...

(born 1956), German middle distance runner * Dan Kraus (1923–2012), American basketball player * Daniel Kraus (footballer) (born 1984), German footballer * Derek Kraus (born 2001), American racing driver * Engelbert Kraus (1934–2016), German footballer *

Hans-Georg Kraus Hans-Georg Kraus (25 October 1949 – 25 July 2020) was a professional German footballer. Kraus made 37 appearances in the Fußball-Bundesliga for Fortuna Düsseldorf and Tennis Borussia Berlin Tennis Borussia Berlin is a German football c ...

(born 1949), German footballer * Jan Kraus (footballer) (born 1979), Czech footballer *

Jana Krausová Jana Krausová (; born 25 January 1954) is a Czech actress. She was formerly married to actor Jan Kraus. Krausová is also an experienced artist, having presented works in art exhibitions both in the Czech Republic and abroad. Krausová is a lon ...

(born 1954), Czech actress *

Jillian Kraus Jillian Amaris Kraus (born December 18, 1986) is a water polo player. She won a gold medal in the 2005 Junior World Championships, won four straight NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships with UCLA, and has played with the United States women's nat ...

(born 1986), American water polo player *

Katja Kraus Katja Kraus (born 23 November 1970, in Offenbach am Main) is a German former football player and official. She was the first German woman to be a board member of a Fußball-Bundesliga club, Hamburger SV. Early life Kraus was born in Offenbach ...

(born 1970), German footballer * Kevin Kraus (born 1992), German footballer *

Lucie Krausová Lucie Krausová (born 10 March 1986) is a Czech former competitive figure skater. She is the 2003 Karl Schäfer Memorial bronze medalist and a three-time (2001–2003) Czech national champion. She competed for four seasons on the ISU Junior Grand ...

(born 1986), Czech figure skater *

Markéta Krausová Markéta Krausová (April 20, 1895 — July 7, 1942) was a Czech Jewish film and stage actress and opera singer.Martin Kraus (footballer, born 1992), Czech footballer * Martin Kraus (footballer, born 1993), Austrian footballer *

Melanie Kraus Melanie Kraus (born 24 October 1974 in Mönchengladbach) is a German long-distance runner who specialises in track events and the marathon. She has won the Frankfurt Marathon and the Düsseldorf Marathon, but it was in the 2000 Berlin Marathon ...

(born 1974), German long-distance runner * Michael Kraus (swimmer) (born 1955), German swimmer * Michael Kraus (field hockey) (born 1958), American field hockey player * Michael Kraus (handballer) (born 1983), German handball player *

Michael Kraus (soccer) Michael Kraus (born September 10, 1984, in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American soccer former player and coach. In 2022 Kraus was hired to be the head coach of Grand Canyon University. Career College and amateur Kraus played college soccer at Cr ...

(born 1984), American soccer player * Nadine Kraus (born 1988), German footballer * Peter Kraus (athlete) (1932–2016), German sprinter * Peter Kraus (field hockey) (1941–2024), German field hockey player *

Sinja Kraus Sinja Kraus (born 29 April 2002) is an Austrian tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of world No. 151 in singles, achieved in May 2023, and No. 303 in doubles, attained in December 2023. Juniors She reached a career-high ITF Junior Cir ...

(born 2002), Austrian tennis player *

Tadeusz Kraus Tadeusz Kraus (also known as Tadeáš Kraus) (22 October 1932 – 30 October 2018) was a Czechoslovak international footballer of Polish ethnicity who represented Czechoslovakia. He was born in Třinec. His father Wilhelm was a metallurgist work ...

(1932–2018), Czechoslovak-Polish footballer *

Tomáš Kraus Tomáš Kraus (born 3 March 1974, in Děčín) is a Czech sportsman who has specialized in both alpine skiing and freestyle skiing. His best results as an alpine skier was two 28th places at the 1997 and 2003 World Championships, but as a freest ...

(born 1974), Czech alpine skier and freestyle skier * Viorel Kraus (born 1940), Romanian footballer * Wolfgang Kraus (born 1953), German footballer

Science

Barbara Kraus Barbara Kraus (born 26 December 1975) is an Austrian physicist specializing in quantum information, quantum entanglement, and quantum key distribution. She is a University Professor at the TUM School of Natural Sciences at the Technical University ...

(born 1975), Austrian physicist * Charles A. Kraus (1875–1967), American chemist *

Christian Jakob Kraus Christian Jakob Kraus (; 27 July 1753 – 25 August 1807) was a German comparative and historical linguist. Biography A native of Osterode (East Prussia), Kraus studied at the universities of Königsberg and Göttingen. In 1782 he became a p ...

(1753–1807), German linguist *

Edward Henry Kraus Edward Henry Kraus (1875–1973) was a professor of mineralogy at the University of Michigan and also served as Dean of the Summer Session, 1915–1933, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, 1923–1933, and Dean of the College of Literature, Science ...

(1875–1973), American mineralogist * Ezra Jacob Kraus (1885–1960), American botanist and horticulturist *

Friedrich Kraus Friedrich Kraus (31 May 18581 March 1936) was an Austrians, Austrian internist. He was born in Bodenbach, Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemia and died in Berlin. He is remembered for his achievements in the field of electrocardiography and his work in c ...

(1858–1936), Austrian physician * Gregor Kraus (1841–1915), German botanist *

John D. Kraus John Daniel Kraus (June 28, 1910 – July 18, 2004) was an American physicist and electrical engineer known for his contributions to electromagnetics, radio astronomy, and antenna theory. His inventions included the helical antenna, th ...

(1910–2004), American electrical engineer *

Karl Kraus (physicist) Karl Kraus (21 March 1938 – 9 June 1988) was a German theoretical physicist who made major contributions to the foundations of quantum physics. Life and work Kraus was born in 1938 in Hohenelbe/Giant Mountains, today Vrchlabí. After the war ...

(1938-1988), German theoretical physicist *

Nina Kraus Nina Kraus is a professor at Northwestern University, investigating the neural encoding of speech and music and its plasticity where she is the Hugh S. Knowles Chair. Her Auditory Neuroscience Lab, also known as Brainvolts, examines the biologic ...

, American neuroscientist *

Otto Kraus Otto Kraus (17 May 1930 – 24 October 2017) was a German arachnologist and myriapodologist. He was director of the Zoological Institute and Zoological Museum at the University of Hamburg from 1969 to 1995, where he also served as professor. He w ...

(1930–2017), German zoologist *

Paul Kraus (Arabist) Eliezer Paul Kraus, 11 December 1904 – 10 or 12 October 1944, was a Jewish Arabist born in Prague. He is the author of a number of seminal works on early Arabic philosophy, with a special focus on Arabic alchemy and chemistry. Some of his writi ...

(1904–1944), Arabist researcher *

Sarit Kraus Sarit Kraus (; born 1960) is a professor of computer science at the Bar-Ilan University in Israel. She was named the 2020-2021 ACM Athena Lecturer in recognition of her contributions to artificial intelligence, notably to multiagent systems, hu ...

(born 1960), Israeli computer scientist

Other

Adolf Kraus Adolf Kraus (February 26, 1850 – October 22, 1928) was an American lawyer, political figure, and Jewish leader. Biography At the age of 15 he left the Bohemian town of Rokycany where he had grown up and emigrated to the United States. He w ...

(1850–1928), American lawyer, politician and Jewish leader *

Bill Kraus William James Kraus (June 26, 1947 – January 25, 1986) was an American gay rights and AIDS activist as well as a congressional aide who served as liaison between the San Francisco gay community and its two successive US representatives in ...

(1947–1986), American homosexual rights and AIDS activist * Bruce Kraus (born 1954), American politician and businessman * Dick Kraus (1937–2019), American educator and politician * Dita Kraus (born 1929), Czech-Israeli teacher and writer * Eileen Kraus (1938–2017), American banker *

Franz Xaver Kraus Franz Xaver Kraus (18 September 1840 – 28 December 1901) was a German Catholic priest, and ecclesiastical and art historian. Early life Franz Xaver Kraus was born in Trier in 1840. He completed his studies in the Trier gymnasium, began his the ...

(1840–1901), German Catholic priest *

Hans Kraus Hans Kraus (November 28, 1905 in Austria-Hungary – March 6, 1996, in New York City) was a physician, physical therapist, mountaineer, and alpinist. A pioneer of modern rock climbing, he was also one of the fathers of sports medicine and physica ...

(1905–1995), Austrian-American physician and rock climber * Hans P. Kraus (1907–1988), German-American antiquarian book dealer *

Hans-Werner Kraus Hans-Werner Kraus (1 July 1915 – 25 May 1990) was a German U-boat commander in the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Kraus served as 1st watch officer on from January 1940 until November ...

(1915–1990), German U-boat commander *

Henry Kraus Henry Kraus (November 13, 1905 in Knoxville, Tennessee – January 27, 1995 in Paris) was an American labor historian, and European art historian. He graduated from the University of Chicago and Western Reserve University with a master's degree ...

(1906–1995), American historian * Herbert Kraus (1884–1965), German legal scholar *

Jacob Kraus Jacob Kraus (14 October 1861, Groningen – 24 August 1951, The Hague) was a Dutch hydraulic engineer, professor at the University of Santiago, Chile, and at Delft University of Technology and government minister of water management Water ...

(1861–1951), Dutch politician * Jody Kraus, American lawyer *

Joe Kraus Joe Kraus is the founder of Excite, JotSpot, and DigitalConsumer.org, along with his long-time business partner Graham Spencer. Currently, Kraus is an Investment Partner on the GV team and President at Lime. Career A long time entrepreneur ...

, American businessman * Katharina T. Kraus, American philosopher * Michael Kraus (minister) (1908–2003), Canadian entrepreneur and minister * Milton Kraus (1866–1942), American politician * Ognjen Kraus (born 1945), Croatian physician and Jewish community leader *

Oskar Kraus Oskar Kraus (24 July 1872 – 26 September 1942) was a Czech philosopher and jurist. Life Oskar Kraus, who converted from the Jewish to the Protestant faith, was born in Prague, the son of Hermann Kraus and Clara Reitler-Eidlitz. In 1899 he marri ...

(1872–1942), Czech philosopher * Paul Kraus (born 1944), Holocaust survivor and author * Peter S. Kraus, American businessman * Richard E. Kraus (1925–1944), American soldier * Ursula Kraus (1930–2021), German politician *

Will Kraus Will Kraus (born March 22, 1973) is an American politician who represented eastern Jackson County, Missouri in the Missouri Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes the cities of Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Greenwo ...

(born 1973), American politician

Fictional characters

Johann Kraus Johann Kraus is a fictional character in the comic book series ''Hellboy'', created by Mike Mignola. He is featured in the comic book ''B.P.R.D.'', published by Dark Horse Comics. Kraus is a disembodied ectoplasm (parapsychology), ectoplasmic s ...

, in the ''Hellboy'' universe

Arts

Sports

Science

Other

Fictional characters

See also