Kraus is a German surname meaning "curly". Notable people with the surname include:

• Adalbert Kraus (born 1937), German tenor
• Adam Kraus (born 1984), American footballer
• Adolf Kraus (1850–1928), lawyer and Jewish leader
• Adolph Robert Kraus (1850–1901), American sculptor
• Alanna Kraus (born 1977), Canadian speed skater
• Albert Kraus (born 1980), Dutch welterweight kickboxer
• Alfredo Kraus (1927–1999), Spanish opera singer
• Barbara Kraus, Austrian physicist
• Bill Kraus (1947–1986), American homosexual rights and AIDS activist
• Brigitte Kraus (born 1956), German middle distance runner
• Bruce Kraus (born 1954), American politician and businessman
• Charles A. Kraus (1875–1967), American chemist
• Charles Kraus (clown) (born 1946), American clown, magician, writer, and comedian
• Chris Kraus (American writer) (born 1955), American writer and filmmaker
• Chris Kraus (director) (born 1963), German author and filmmaker
• Christian Jakob Kraus (1753–1807), German linguist
• Daniel Kraus (disambiguation)
• Derek Kraus (born 2001), American racing driver
• Detlef Kraus (1919–2008), German pianist
• Dick Kraus (1937–2019), American educator and politician
• Eileen Kraus (1938–2017), American banker
• Engelbert Kraus (1934–2016), German football player
• Ernst Kraus (1863–1941), German tenor
• Ezra Jacob Kraus (1885–1960), American botanist and horticulturist
• Felix von Kraus (1870–1937), Austrian singer
• Franz Kraus (1905–1998), Israeli graphic designer
• Franz Xaver Kraus (1840–1901), German Catholic priest
• Friedrich Kraus (1858–1936), Bohemian Austrian physician
• Georg Melchior Kraus (1737–1806), German painter
• Gertrud Kraus (1901–1977), Israeli modern dancer
• Gregor Kraus (1841–1915), German botanist
• Hans Kraus (1905–1995), Austrian-American physician and rock climber
• Hans-Georg Kraus (born 1949), German footballer
• Hans P. Kraus (1907–1988), German-American antiquarian book dealer
• Hans-Werner Kraus (1915–1990), German U-boat commander
• Hansi Kraus (born 1952), German actor
• Henry Kraus (1906–1995), American historian
• Herbert Kraus (1884–1965), German professor of international law
• Jacob Kraus (1861–1951), Dutch politician
• Jillian Kraus (born 1986), American water polo player
• Jody Kraus, American lawyer
• Joe Kraus, American businessman
• John D. Kraus (1910–2004), American electrical engineer
• Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792), German-Swedish classical composer
• Józef Antoni Kraus (died 1721), German sculptor
• Katja Kraus (born 1970), German footballer
• Karl Kraus (writer) (1874–1936), Austrian writer
• Kevin Kraus (born 1992), German footballer
• Lili Kraus (1903–1986), Hungarian pianist
• Marianne Kraus (1765–1838), German painter, drafter and writer
• Melanie Kraus (born 1974), German long-distance runner
• Michael Kraus (disambiguation)
• Milton Kraus (1866–1942), American politician
• Nadine Kraus (born 1988), German footballer
• Nicola Kraus (born 1974), American novelist
• Nina Kraus, American neuroscientist
• Ognjen Kraus (born 1945), Croatian physician and Jewish community leader
• Oliver Kraus (born 1970), English musician
• Oskar Kraus (1872–1942), Czech philosopher
• Otakar Kraus (1909–1980), Czech (later British) baritone
• Otto Kraus (1930–2017), German zoologist
• Patricia Kraus (born 1964), Spanish singer
• Paul Kraus (born 1944), Holocaust survivor and author, considered the longest-lived mesothelioma survivor
• Paul Kraus (Arabist) (1904–1944), Arabist researcher
• Peter Kraus (born 1939), German singer
• Peter S. Kraus, American businessman
• Philip Kraus (born 1950), American operatic baritone and stage director
• Richard E. Kraus (1925–1944), United States Marine posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
• Robert Kraus (1925–2001), American children's author, cartoonist, and publisher
• Sarit Kraus (born 1960), Israeli computer scientist
• Sharron Kraus, English singer, songwriter, and musician
• Shmulik Kraus (born in 1935–2013), Israeli actor and pop-rock singer and composer
• Sonya Kraus (born 1973), German television presenter
• Tadeusz Kraus (1932–2018), Czechoslovak-Polish footballer
• Tomáš Kraus (born 1974), Czech alpine skier and freestyle skier
• Ursula Kraus (1930–2021), German politician, mayor
• Viorel Kraus (born 1940), Romanian footballer
• Živa Kraus (born 1945), Croatian painter
• Will Kraus (born 1973), American politician
• Will Kraus, aka Kraus (shoegaze musician) (born 1994/95), American musician
• Wolfgang Kraus (born 1953), German football player
• Yael Kraus, Israeli singer-songwriter