Craige
Anglicized form of the Scots Gaelic word creag meaning "rock, crag."
Name Census estimates that about 313 living Americans carry the first name Craige. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Craige today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Craige births was 1972 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Craige. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
313
~ 1 in 1,095,062 Americans
Peak year
1972
18 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2005 SSA rank
#11,775
Tracked since 1941
Popularity
Craige: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Craige from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 102 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Craige by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Craige during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Craige
The name Craige originates from the Scottish Gaelic language and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "creag," which means "rock" or "crag." This name was likely given to individuals who lived near rocky or mountainous areas in Scotland.
The earliest recorded use of the name Craige dates back to the late 1500s, when it appeared in parish records and historical documents from various regions of Scotland. One notable individual bearing this name was Craige Dalzell, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 17th century and played a role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
In the 18th century, the name Craige gained popularity among Scottish families, particularly in the Highlands and Lowlands. During this time, several prominent figures bore this name, including Craige Macpherson, a Scottish poet and writer born in 1710, and Craige Stewart, a Scottish soldier and military commander born in 1744.
As the Scottish diaspora spread across the globe, the name Craige also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, Craige Henderson, a Scottish-born explorer and naturalist, made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia, where he settled in the early 1800s.
Another notable individual with the name Craige was Craige Millar, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1829 to 1917. He made his fortune in the textile industry and donated generously to various educational institutions and charitable causes in the United States.
While the name Craige has its roots in Scottish culture and history, it has also been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and nationalities over time. Its connection to the rugged and natural landscapes of Scotland, however, remains a defining characteristic of this name's rich heritage.
People
Craige + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Craige as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Craige: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Craige?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 313 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Craige going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,095,062 US residents.
Is Craige a common name?
We classify Craige as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 371 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Craige most popular?
The single biggest year for Craige was 1972, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Craige is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Craige a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Craige in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.