2000
#10,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,848
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Crampton
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "village of Cramb's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,080 Americans carry the last name Crampton. That puts it at #11,250 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crampton 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 Crampton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,284
Census rank
#11,250
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,686 bearers of the surname Crampton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11250th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crampton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crampton
The surname Crampton originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cram," meaning "crooked," and "tun," meaning "town" or "village." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a crooked or winding town or village.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recorded instances appearing in various historical documents and records. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where a certain William de Cramtun is listed as a landowner.
As the name spread across England, different spellings emerged, such as Cramton, Cramptonn, and Craumpton. These variations reflect the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier periods, as well as regional dialects and pronunciations.
In the 16th century, the Crampton surname gained prominence through the exploits of Sir Philip Crampton (c. 1530-1599), an English soldier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the Anglo-Spanish War and was knighted for his services.
Another noteworthy figure was Samuel Crampton (1579-1649), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. He was a staunch Puritan and actively opposed the policies of Archbishop William Laud, ultimately being imprisoned for his defiance.
The 18th century saw the birth of Josiah Crampton (1737-1807), an English engineer and inventor. He is credited with various innovations in mechanical engineering, including improvements to the design of steam engines and pumping machinery.
In the realm of literature, Sir John Crampton (1805-1886) was a British diplomat and author. He served as the British Minister to the United States and later wrote several works on political and diplomatic affairs.
More recently, Sir Eric Crampton (1892-1969) was a distinguished British barrister and judge. He served as a Lord Justice of Appeal and was widely respected for his legal acumen and integrity.
While the Crampton surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the county of Lincolnshire, where it likely emerged as a descriptive name for someone living in a crooked or winding village.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crampton
Among Census respondents with the surname Crampton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Crampton 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 Crampton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 2,236
- Black or African American6.0% · 162
- Two or more races4.6% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crampton
Crampton 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
#11,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,784
-64 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 972 places
2020
#11,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,686
-98 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,363 | 2,848 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,335 | 2,784 | 0.94 | -64 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 972 places |
| 2020 | #11,250 | 2,686 | 0.90 | -98 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 85 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 Crampton 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 | #11,335 | #11,250 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,784 | 2,686 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.90 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crampton bearers went from 2,784 to 2,686 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,335 to #11,250.
FAQ
Crampton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crampton?
Name Census estimates that about 3,080 living Americans carry the surname Crampton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,284 residents.
How common is Crampton?
Crampton ranks #11,250 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,686 people with the surname Crampton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Crampton.
Has Crampton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crampton went from 2,784 recorded bearers to 2,686. That is a decrease of 98 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,335 to #11,250.
What does the Census say about the background of Crampton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crampton, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Crampton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (2,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crampton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (6.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Crampton (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 Crampton mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "village of Cramb's people" in Old English. 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 Crampton (0.90 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 Crampton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.