Cromwell
A masculine name derived from the Old English words "cromb" and "well," meaning "crooked" and "spring."
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Cromwell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cromwell today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cromwell births was 1918 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cromwell. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cromwell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1918
7 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1971 SSA rank
#5,047
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Cromwell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cromwell from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 13 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Cromwell remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cromwell 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 Cromwell 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 Cromwell
The name Cromwell originated from the Old English words "crum" meaning crooked and "well" meaning spring or stream, together denoting a winding stream or river. It was initially used as a surname, referring to people who lived near such a geographical feature. The name can be traced back to the 11th century in England.
In the 13th century, the name gained prominence with Oliver Cromwell, an English military and political leader who played a crucial role in the English Civil War. He served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death in 1658. Oliver Cromwell was a prominent Puritan and a key figure in the establishment of the republican Commonwealth, following the execution of King Charles I.
Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Cromwell, who lived from circa 1485 to 1540. He was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540. Thomas Cromwell was instrumental in the English Reformation and played a significant role in the dissolution of monasteries.
In the 18th century, Oliver Cromwell Jr. (1688-1768) was an American merchant and politician who served as the 24th governor of Massachusetts from 1741 to 1749. He was a descendant of the famous Oliver Cromwell and continued the family's tradition of public service.
The name Cromwell has also been associated with other notable figures throughout history, such as James Cromwell (1940-), an American actor known for his roles in films like "Babe," "L.A. Confidential," and "The Green Mile." Additionally, Neville Cromwell (1891-1975) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) during the 1910s and 1920s.
While the name Cromwell is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold historical significance and is often associated with the legacy of Oliver Cromwell and his impact on English history.
People
Cromwell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cromwell 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
Cromwell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cromwell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cromwell 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Cromwell a common name?
We classify Cromwell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cromwell most popular?
The single biggest year for Cromwell was 1918, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cromwell is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cromwell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cromwell 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.