Kress Family History

from a much altered pet form of the personal name Erasmus, a Latinized form of Greek erasmos ‘loved’ (see Rasmus). from a much altered pet form of the personal name Christian. from Middle High German kresse ‘gudgeon’, hence probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish in some way or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman. unflattering nickname for a greedy person, from Old High German krassig, gratag ‘greedy’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press