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 (born 1937), German tenor
- Adolph Robert Kraus (1850âÂÂ1901), American sculptor
- Alfredo Kraus (1927âÂÂ1999), Spanish opera singer
- Charles Kraus (clown) (born 1946), American clown, magician, writer and comedian
- Chris Kraus (director) (born 1963), German film director and screen writer
- Chris Kraus (writer) (born 1955), American writer and filmmaker
- Dagmara Kraus (born 1981), German poet and translator
- Daniel Kraus (author) (born 1975), American author
- Detlef Kraus (1919âÂÂ2008), German pianist
- Ernst Kraus (1863âÂÂ1941), German tenor
- Felix von Kraus (1870âÂÂ1937), Austrian singer
- FrantiÃ
¡ek R. Kraus (1903âÂÂ1967), Czech writer
- Franz Kraus (1905âÂÂ1998), Israeli graphic designer
- Georg Melchior Kraus (1737âÂÂ1806), German painter
- Gertrud Kraus (1901âÂÂ1977), Israeli modern dancer
- Hansi Kraus (born 1952), German actor
- Jan Kraus (actor) (born 1953), Czech actor and TV host
- Jessica Reed Kraus, American writer
- Joseph Martin Kraus (1756âÂÂ1792), German-Swedish classical composer
- Józef Antoni Kraus (died 1721), German sculptor
- Karl Kraus (writer) (1874âÂÂ1936), Austrian writer
- Lili Kraus (1903âÂÂ1986), Hungarian pianist
- Marianne Kraus (1765âÂÂ1838), German painter, drafter and writer
- Markéta Krausová (1895âÂÂ1942), Czech actress and opera singer
- Michael Kraus (baritone) (born 1957), Austrian operatic baritone
- Nicola Kraus (born 1974), American novelist
- Oliver Kraus (born 1970), English musician
- Otakar Kraus (1909âÂÂ1980), Czech-British baritone
- Pat Kraus aka Kraus, New Zealand musician
- Patricia Kraus (born 1964), Spanish singer
- Peter Kraus (born 1939), German singer
- Philip Kraus (born 1950), American operatic baritone and stage director
- Robert Kraus (1925âÂÂ2001), American children's author, cartoonist and publisher
- Sharron Kraus, English singer, songwriter and musician
- Shmulik Kraus (born in 1935âÂÂ2013), Israeli actor, singer and composer
- Sonya Kraus (born 1973), German television presenter
- Ã
½iva Kraus (born 1945), Croatian painter
- Will Kraus aka Kraus (born 1994/95), American musician
- Yael Kraus, Israeli singer-songwriter
Sports
- Adam Kraus (born 1984), American footballer
- Alanna Kraus (born 1977), Canadian speed skater
- Albert Kraus (born 1980), Dutch welterweight kickboxer
- Brigitte Kraus (born 1956), German middle distance runner
- Dan Kraus (1923âÂÂ2012), American basketball player
- Daniel Kraus (footballer) (born 1984), German footballer
- Derek Kraus (born 2001), American racing driver
- Engelbert Kraus (1934âÂÂ2016), German footballer
- Hans-Georg Kraus (1949âÂÂ2020), German footballer
- Jan Kraus (footballer) (born 1979), Czech footballer
- Jana Krausová (born 1954), Czech actress
- Jillian Kraus (born 1986), American water polo player
- Katja Kraus (born 1970), German footballer
- Kevin Kraus (born 1992), German footballer
- Lucie Krausová (born 1986), Czech figure skater
- Martin Kraus (footballer, born 1992), Czech footballer
- Martin Kraus (footballer, born 1993), Austrian footballer
- Melanie Kraus (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) (born 1984), American soccer player
- Nadine Kraus (born 1988), German footballer
- Peter Kraus (athlete) (1932âÂÂ2016), German sprinter
- Peter Kraus (field hockey) (1941âÂÂ2024), German field hockey player
- Sinja Kraus (born 2002), Austrian tennis player
- Tadeusz Kraus (1932âÂÂ2018), Czechoslovak-Polish footballer
- TomáÃ
¡ Kraus (born 1974), Czech alpine skier and freestyle skier
- Viorel Kraus (born 1940), Romanian footballer
- Wolfgang Kraus (born 1953), German footballer
Science
- Arnoldo Kraus (1951âÂÂ2025), Mexican physician and academic
- Barbara Kraus (born 1975), Austrian physicist
- Charles A. Kraus (1875âÂÂ1967), American chemist
- Christian Jakob Kraus (1753âÂÂ1807), German linguist
- Edward Henry Kraus (1875âÂÂ1973), American mineralogist
- Ezra Jacob Kraus (1885âÂÂ1960), American botanist and horticulturist
- Friedrich Kraus (1858âÂÂ1936), Austrian physician
- Gregor Kraus (1841âÂÂ1915), German botanist
- John D. Kraus (1910âÂÂ2004), American electrical engineer
- Karl Kraus (physicist) (1938-1988), German theoretical physicist
- Nina Kraus, American neuroscientist
- Otto Kraus (1930âÂÂ2017), German zoologist
- Paul Kraus (Arabist) (1904âÂÂ1944), Arabist researcher
- Sarit Kraus (born 1960), Israeli computer scientist
Other
- Adolf Kraus (1850âÂÂ1928), American lawyer, politician and Jewish leader
- Bill Kraus (1947âÂÂ1986), American homosexual rights and AIDS activist
- Bruce Kraus (born 1954), American politician and businessman
- Dick Kraus (1937âÂÂ2019), American educator and politician
- Dita Kraus (1929âÂÂ2025), Czech-Israeli teacher and writer
- Eileen Kraus (1938âÂÂ2017), American banker
- Franz Xaver Kraus (1840âÂÂ1901), German Catholic priest
- Hans Kraus (1905âÂÂ1995), Austrian-American physician and rock climber
- Hans P. Kraus (1907âÂÂ1988), German-American antiquarian book dealer
- Hans-Werner Kraus (1915âÂÂ1990), German U-boat commander
- Henry Kraus (1906âÂÂ1995), American historian
- Herbert Kraus (1884âÂÂ1965), German legal scholar
- Jacob Kraus (1861âÂÂ1951), Dutch politician
- Jody Kraus, American lawyer
- Joe Kraus, American businessman
- Katharina T. Kraus, American philosopher
- Michael Kraus (minister) (1908âÂÂ2003), Canadian entrepreneur and minister
- Milton Kraus (1866âÂÂ1942), American politician
- Ognjen Kraus (born 1945), Croatian physician and Jewish community leader
- Oskar Kraus (1872âÂÂ1942), Czech philosopher
- Paul Kraus (born 1944), Holocaust survivor and author
- Peter S. Kraus, American businessman
- Richard E. Kraus (1925âÂÂ1944), American soldier
- Ursula Kraus (1930âÂÂ2021), German politician
- Will Kraus (born 1973), American politician
Fictional characters
See also