2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Craanen
A surname of Dutch origin referring to a crane or hoist.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Craanen. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Craanen 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Craanen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Craanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Craanen
The surname CRAANEN is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to the Dutch word "kraan," which means "crane" (the bird).
The earliest recorded instances of the CRAANEN surname can be found in historical records from the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Utrecht in the Netherlands. The name was likely derived from a location or residence near a place where cranes were commonly found, such as a marsh or wetland area.
One of the earliest known bearers of the CRAANEN name was Jan Craanen, born in 1632 in Rotterdam, a city in the province of Zuid-Holland. Historical records indicate that Jan was a merchant and trader, dealing in goods imported from the Dutch East Indies.
Another notable figure with the CRAANEN surname was Pieter Craanen, born in 1712 in Utrecht. Pieter was a renowned artist and painter during the Dutch Golden Age, renowned for his exquisite landscape paintings depicting the Dutch countryside.
In the 19th century, the CRAANEN name gained further prominence with the birth of Willem Craanen (1834-1912), a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives. Willem was a vocal advocate for workers' rights and played a significant role in shaping labor laws and policies in the Netherlands during his political career.
The CRAANEN surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Belgium and Germany, where variations of the name like "Cranen" or "Kranen" were used. This suggests that the name may have spread beyond the Netherlands due to migration and trade during the Early Modern period.
Another notable bearer of the CRAANEN name was Maria Craanen (1871-1958), a Dutch actress and singer who gained fame for her performances in various theater productions and operas throughout the Netherlands and Belgium in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the CRAANEN surname is predominantly Dutch in origin, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration. However, its earliest roots can be traced back to the Netherlands, where it emerged as a topographic name influenced by the Dutch fascination with the majestic crane bird.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Craanen
Among Census respondents with the surname Craanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Craanen 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 Craanen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Craanen
Craanen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Craanen 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Craanen bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Craanen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Craanen?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Craanen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Craanen?
Craanen ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Craanen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Craanen.
Has Craanen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Craanen went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Craanen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Craanen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Craanen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Craanen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Black (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Craanen (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 Craanen mean?
A surname of Dutch origin referring to a crane or hoist. 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 Craanen (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 Craanen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.