2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chrispell
A surname derived from an ancient variation of the name "Christopher".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Chrispell. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chrispell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Chrispell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chrispell, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chrispell
The surname Chrispell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era, where it is thought to have derived from the Old English words "Cris" and "pell," which together could have meant "curly hair" or "crisp-haired." Alternatively, some scholars suggest that the name may have been a locational surname, referring to a place with a similar-sounding name.
In terms of historical references, the earliest known record of the Chrispell surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This document was a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I. It is also believed that the name may have been mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, although the exact spelling is uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Chrispell surname was John Chrispell, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, in the late 15th century. In the early 16th century, a man named Thomas Chrispell was documented as a landowner in the village of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
During the 17th century, the Chrispell name gained prominence with the birth of William Chrispell (1620-1689), a notable English clergyman and author. He published several religious works and served as the Rector of Woodchurch in Kent.
Another notable individual was Robert Chrispell (1675-1737), a merchant and philanthropist from London. He was involved in the East India trade and donated a significant portion of his wealth to various charitable causes during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, a man named Henry Chrispell (1812-1879) gained recognition as a prominent industrialist and inventor. He is credited with developing several improvements to textile manufacturing machinery, which played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution.
While the Chrispell surname has its roots in England, it later spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Some variations in spelling, such as Crispell or Chrisple, were also recorded over time, likely due to regional dialects and individual interpretations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chrispell
Among Census respondents with the surname Chrispell, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chrispell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chrispell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chrispell
Chrispell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,432 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,432 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chrispell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chrispell bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Chrispell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chrispell?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Chrispell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Chrispell?
Chrispell ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Chrispell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chrispell.
Has Chrispell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chrispell went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Chrispell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chrispell, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chrispell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chrispell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chrispell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chrispell mean?
A surname derived from an ancient variation of the name "Christopher". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chrispell (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Chrispell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.