2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Crancer
A variation or misspelling of the surname Cranser, referring to someone who made cranses for raising wine barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Crancer. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crancer 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Crancer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crancer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crancer
The surname Crancer is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the East Midlands region of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "crance," which means "crane" or "heron," a type of long-legged wading bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Crancer surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1327, where a John Crancer is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area at that time. Additionally, the Crancer surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dating back to 1379.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Crancer surname was particularly prevalent in the village of Cranwell, located in Lincolnshire. It is possible that the name may have originated from this place name, which itself is derived from the Old English words "cran" (crane) and "well" (stream or spring), denoting a place where cranes were known to congregate.
Notable individuals bearing the Crancer surname throughout history include:
1. William Crancer (c. 1550-1620), a landowner and influential figure in the village of Cranwell during the Elizabethan era.
2. John Crancer (1612-1682), a merchant and ship owner from Boston, Lincolnshire, who played a role in the transatlantic trade with the American colonies.
3. Elizabeth Crancer (1685-1758), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Nottinghamshire, known for her expertise in traditional plant-based remedies.
4. Thomas Crancer (1720-1801), a farmer and local politician who served as a magistrate in the village of Cranwell during the latter half of the 18th century.
5. Mary Crancer (1810-1892), a philanthropist and social reformer from Lincolnshire, who was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and schools for underprivileged children in the region.
While the Crancer surname may not be as widely recognized as some other English surnames, its historical roots can be traced back several centuries, with a strong connection to the East Midlands region and the imagery of cranes or herons, which are deeply embedded in its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crancer
Among Census respondents with the surname Crancer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Crancer 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 Crancer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crancer
Crancer 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+10 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 489 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 489 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Crancer 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crancer bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Crancer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crancer?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Crancer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Crancer?
Crancer ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Crancer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Crancer.
Has Crancer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crancer went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Crancer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crancer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Crancer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crancer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Crancer (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 Crancer mean?
A variation or misspelling of the surname Cranser, referring to someone who made cranses for raising wine barrels. 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 Crancer (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 people have the surname Crancer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.