I'm glad you made the distinction because so many terms get hijacked and then minimized into nothingness.

I do know my Kruse's came from Germany around 1850 and ended up in the midwest then Utah (Henry & Margaretha Kruse - my great grandparents) and then California (Harry Kruse - my grandpa). My nephew Jackson is the last Kruse to carry on the name. Another strong Kruse presence is in Oregon. Lots of important Kruses up there, but I'm not related nor that important - LOL. Anyway, fun to research family history.