Kraut

Recorded in many spellings including Crout, Crut, Krause, Kraut, Krautl, Krautle, Krauth, Krout, Kroutil, Krauter, Krautman, and others, this is an ancient surname of Germanic origins. It is occupational and derives from the word 'kraut' meaning a plant or herb, and particularly a cabbage. Hence it describes a gardener or herbalist. The word 'kraut' was used originally in a derogatory amongst Germans themselves to describe someone as a 'cabbage', but later and particularly in the emotive atmosphere of the First World War (1914 - 1918), it was used by the Allies generally like Hun, to describe any or all Germans. It is a very early surname, the profession of gardener being of great importance in the Middle Ages, when starvation for most people lay just ahead most of the time. These early examples of recordings taken from surviving town rolls and registers of Austria, Germany and sometimes Switzerland include Krautle, given as being the son of Kraut of Brainkofen in 1227, Hainrich Cruter of Tubingen in the year 1319, and Hans Krut of Koblenz in 1483. There have been a number of grants of coats of arms to the family. The earliest is believed to be from Prussia. The blazon being quarterly, 1st and 3rd, a cross of Lorraine, 2nd and 4th an eagle displayed.