2000
#1,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,929
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.61
Uncommon Last name
Crabtree
An English topographic surname referring to a wild apple tree or a place where crab apples grew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,448 Americans carry the last name Crabtree. That puts it at #1,399 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crabtree 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Crabtree with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,048
Census rank
#1,399
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,808 bearers of the surname Crabtree in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1399th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crabtree, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crabtree
The surname Crabtree originates from England, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place name, referring to individuals who lived near a crab tree or a small apple tree. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be "de Crabbetreo", found in the Hertfordshire tax rolls of 1273.
The name's origins can be traced back to the Old English words "crab" and "treow", meaning "wild apple tree". It is believed that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a specific crab tree or a place where such trees grew abundantly. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been from areas with a significant presence of crab apple trees or orchards.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Crabtree appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Crabbetreo" in Staffordshire. This entry provides evidence of the name's long history and its association with specific locations in England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Crabtrewe" and "Crabetreu", reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. The name Crabtree is also associated with several place names in England, such as Crabtree Hill in Herefordshire and Crabtree Lane in Lancashire.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Crabtree include:
1. William Crabtree (1610-1644), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion and eclipses.
2. John Crabtree (1637-1714), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Antrim in Ireland.
3. Robert Crabtree (1821-1908), an English railway engineer and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical method for preserving food using canning.
4. Lotta Crabtree (1847-1924), an American actress and entertainer who gained fame for her performances in the United States and Europe during the late 19th century.
5. Benny Crabtree (1919-2009), an American professional baseball player who played as an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1940s.
The surname Crabtree has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and associated with specific locations in England. Despite its age, the name continues to be carried on by individuals worldwide, serving as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crabtree
Among Census respondents with the surname Crabtree, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Crabtree 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 Crabtree surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 22,542
- Two or more races3.8% · 933
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 704
- Black or African American1.2% · 286
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 160
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crabtree
Crabtree 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
#1,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,104
+175 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 8.85
Rank movement Down 110 places
2020
#1,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,808
-1,296 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 8.30
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,244 | 25,929 | 9.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,354 | 26,104 | 8.85 | +175 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 110 places |
| 2020 | #1,399 | 24,808 | 8.30 | -1,296 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 45 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 Crabtree 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 | #1,354 | #1,399 | -3.3% |
| Count | 26,104 | 24,808 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.85 | 8.30 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crabtree bearers went from 26,104 to 24,808 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,354 to #1,399.
FAQ
Crabtree surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crabtree?
Name Census estimates that about 28,448 living Americans carry the surname Crabtree. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,048 residents.
How common is Crabtree?
Crabtree ranks #1,399 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,808 people with the surname Crabtree. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Crabtree.
Has Crabtree become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crabtree went from 26,104 recorded bearers to 24,808. That is a decrease of 1,296 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,354 to #1,399.
What does the Census say about the background of Crabtree?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crabtree, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Crabtree in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (22,542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crabtree appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Crabtree (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 Crabtree mean?
An English topographic surname referring to a wild apple tree or a place where crab apples grew. 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 Crabtree (8.30 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 people share the surname Crabtree?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.