Find out how popular the last name Crane is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Crane.

Crane, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Crane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Crane in America

Crane is the 916th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Crane surname appeared 37,870 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Crane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Crane to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Crane

The surname Crane is derived from the Old English word 'cran' or 'cran-oc', meaning 'crane' – the large wading bird. This name originated as a nickname for someone thought to have had a physical resemblance to the crane or who walked in a similar manner. It likely arose in various parts of England during the medieval period.

The earliest known record of the surname Crane dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Crana' and 'Crane'. One of the first recorded instances is that of Walter Crane, who held lands in Suffolk in the late 12th century.

Another early bearer of the name was Robert Crane, a prominent merchant and alderman of London, who lived from around 1260 to 1325. He is mentioned in several historical records of the time.

Sir Francis Crane (1579-1636) was an English merchant, politician, and renowned patron of the arts. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1623 and was a prominent figure in the Virginia Company, which established the first English settlements in North America.

Walter Crane (1845-1915) was a renowned English artist, book illustrator, and children's book writer. He is best known for his beautifully illustrated editions of classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist. His most famous works include 'The Red Badge of Courage' and the short story 'The Open Boat'. He is considered one of the most influential writers of the late 19th century.

The surname Crane has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cranbrook in Kent, Cranfield in Bedfordshire, and Cranmore in Somerset, reflecting its widespread use and distribution across the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Crane

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Crane.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Crane was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Crane has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Crane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Crane, please contact us.

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